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In this video, you'll hear from the NBTC's UK director, Sandra Ishmael, and TTG's partner content editor, Jessica Reid.
Win a trip to the Netherlands!
easyJet holidays has teamed up with the NBTC to offer one lucky agent the chance to win a trip to the Netherlands, with the choice to stay in The Hague or in one of Amsterdam's hip neighbourhoods.
Video transcript
Jess: Welcome to our In The Spotlight video with the Netherlands. Sandra, for agents who might not be aware, can you please start by explaining the difference between the Netherlands and Holland and why this is important to know?
Sandra: Certainly. So, the Netherlands is made up of 12 different regions or provinces, and Holland represents only two of these regions, which is North Holland where the capital city is, Amsterdam, and South Holland which has cities such as Rotterdam and The Hague. So if we talk about Holland, we're literally excluding the majority of the country. And part of our mission as a tourist board is to try to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on local residents. And this is basically the starting point to ensure that the country in which they live is recognised globally by its correct name.
Jess: Thank you for explaining that one. And so how should agents be selling the Netherlands to first-time visitors?
Sandra: Well, when you think about first-time visitors, it's quite natural that somebody that hasn't been to the Netherlands before would want to go to the capital city of Amsterdam. We really try and ease some of the pressure on Amsterdam city centre, and we've been doing a lot of work with the travel trade to do that. For example, easyJet holidays, we've been working with them to encourage people to book hotels outside of the canal ring, outside of Museum Square into other neighbourhoods, which are very close by walking, tram, or train to the city centre. And that's working really well; we're seeing really good results with that.
Jess: Many agents will be familiar with Amsterdam, like you say, but can you tell me more about the Netherlands' major cities and why they make a great choice for UK travellers?
Sandra: Yes, there's lots of variety in the Netherlands and British people that visit the Netherlands really want a city break. So, for instance, there's Rotterdam, which has the best of both worlds. It's a modern metropolis, but a short boat ride away, you can see a more traditional side of the city with canal houses, a windmill, etc. There's Eindhoven, which is very creative. Lots of things were invented in Eindhoven – for example, lightbulb technology, the CD, for those of us that remember the CD. And it's a great place for a city break, and it's very close to Efteling Theme Park Resort with its brilliant rides and lots of accommodation possibilities. And then we have The Hague, which is the royal city by the sea: golden beach, wonderful restaurants, seafood, Indonesian cuisine, and brilliant shopping. And one of the great things actually about the Netherlands is you can travel between cities easily by train.
Jess: And as you say, lots of UK travellers will visit the Netherlands to experience its famous Dutch culture, but where can they experience this, perhaps away from the country's hotspots?
Sandra: There's two main reasons why British people choose to visit the Netherlands, and that's the tulips and to see paintings by the Dutch Masters. Historically, most travel agents and tour operators have encouraged their customers to visit Keukenhof Gardens, but we're also encouraging UK visitors to visit the region of Flevoland, which is about one hour from Amsterdam. And it's here where you can see a kaleidoscope of colour, wonderful, wonderful fields just out in nature. Also regarding the Dutch Masters, you can visit the Museum Depot in Rotterdam, where you can see paintings by Van Gogh and Rembrandt, for instance. You can also visit the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, which is home to Girl with a Pearl Earring, and in the Kroller-Muller Museum, which is just outside Arnhem, so about one hour by train from Amsterdam, they have the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world.
Jess: Brilliant! And finally, can we just talk about getting there? So, how accessible is the Netherlands from the UK?
Sandra: Well, I think one of the great things about the Netherlands is there's so many ways to get there from the UK. You have, for instance, a direct train connection from London into Rotterdam and Amsterdam. You also have three ferry routes from Newcastle, from Hull, and also from Harwich into the Netherlands. And you also have many, many air connections. For instance, easyJet fly from many UK airports, and easyJet holidays, who we work very closely with, currently offer packages for UK holidaymakers from 13 UK airports to the Netherlands. So, this huge customer reach is one of the reasons why we work with them so closely.
Jess: Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing all of that useful information with us, Sandra. And thank you for watching our In The Spotlight video with the Netherlands.
