The Netherlands

“Holland” Is Gone! What Happened?

Published January 2, 2020 | By Clark Norton

Holland — er, the Netherlands — is known for its tulips, among other delights. Photo by Rachel Kramer on flickr

As of January 1, 2020, “Holland” — the storied land of wooden shoes, windmills, bicycles, and tulips — is no more.

Did it finally succumb to flooding, with little Dutch children no longer able to stick their fingers in the dykes to hold back the rushing waters?

No, the country isn’t disappearing, just its commonly used monniker.

It seems that the name “Holland” has fallen victim to a government rebranding effort designed to ease overtourism in Amsterdam and its nearby tourist magnets such as The Hague, Delft, and Haarlem, all part of historical Holland.

The official name of the country — the Netherlands — encompasses more than historical Holland, and the Dutch government is spending €200,000 on the rebranding so that tourists will expand their horizons and visit its… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Europe, European travel, Marketing, sustainable travel | Tagged Amsterdam, Dutch tourism, Holland, Maastricht, orange tulip logo, The Netherlands | Leave a comment

No Surprise: Dutch are Most Adventurous

Published April 27, 2017 | By Clark Norton

Dutch tulips: better than cave biking. Photo by Rachel Kramer on flickr.

According to a recent survey of 40 countries around the globe conducted by motor home rental site SHAREaCAMPER, the Netherlands has the most adventurous people per capita, followed by Australia and Sweden.

The survey tabulated the number of online searches in each country for such adventurous activities as skydiving, bungee jumping, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, surfing, BMXing, and caravanning — the latter being what Australians (where SHAREaCAMPER is partially based) call traveling in RVs, campers, or motor homes.

Strictly in terms of sheer numbers of total searches, the United States placed first, but of course has a much higher population than the other countries. The U.S. finished ninth in the per capita rankings.

While the Netherlands was outdone in skiing by Norway and Australia in surfing (no surprises there), Switzerland in… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, cycling, Europe, RVs, Sports | Tagged adventure sports, adventure travel, cave biking, cave cycling, cycling in the Netherlands, Dutch cycling, Dutch mud walking, Holland, mud walking, The Netherlands | 1 Comment

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.