Country profile
Leading the way Whether they are looking to attract foreign or domestic
visitors, Dutch attractions operators are acutely aware that continued growth relies upon continued development. Theme parks across the country are constantly investing in new rides and attractions and the same can be said for all sectors of the industry. Perhaps the best example of this continued growth can
be found in the bustling capital of Amsterdam. In April 2013, the Rijksmuseum, the country’s national museum dedicated to arts and history and a centrepiece of the city, opened its doors after a 10-year, €375m ($460m) renovation. This was followed by the Van Gogh Museum in November 2014, which cut the ribbon on a completely new presentation of its permanent collection. With a focus on the famed Dutch painter as an artist and a person, the new presentation seeks to better convey the context in which Van Gogh’s iconic paintings such as Sunflowers, The Bedroom and Almond Blossom were created. “The international travel market – and thus inbound
tourism in the Netherlands – is not an island but is influenced by numerous factors,” said NBTC Holland in a future-focused report. “A strong connection exists between
economic growth, prosperity and personal
income on the one hand and international travel behaviour on the other. Rising general prosperity brings travel within the reach of large groups of the world population. “NBTC expects inbound tourism to continue growing in
the coming years based on its analyses and computations. Partly due to the slightly weaker economic conditions that will prevail in the coming years, this increase will initially be achieved with low growth rates, but higher growth is likely to occur from 2020 as the global economy picks up again. Following this development, the number of foreign overnighting guests that visit the Netherlands each year will increase by two per cent to approximately 14.25 million in 2020 – a total growth of almost 30 per cent compared with 2007.”
Image courtesy the Van Gogh Museum
THE NETHERLANDS: COUNTRY PROFILE Population Size
16,877,000 (2014) 41,
500sq.km (of which 7,
700sq.km is water)
Area comparison Roughly twice the size of New Jersey, US Language
Dutch GDP $699.7bn (2013, estimated)
English speakers 90% (2012) Inbound tourists 11.3 million (2011)
Major urban areas Amsterdam (capital), population 1.1 million; Rotterdam, population 1.0 million; The Hague (seat of government), population 635,000
The Netherlands’ four largest cities The above and Utrecht, along with numerous other cities, form the Randstad area, one of the largest conurbations in Europe
Sources: Eurobarometer, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), NBTC Holland Image courtesy Efteling
www.InterPark.co.uk 53
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64