Holland no more: Dutch government officially drops nickname

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Holland no more: Dutch government officially drops nickname

By Imane Rachidi

Amsterdam: The Dutch government has announced it will stop using the moniker Holland in favour of its official name the Netherlands.

From January, companies, embassies, ministries and universities will only be able to refer to the state using its legitimate title.

Orange tulips, the nation's national flower, will feature in the rebranded tourism campaign.

Orange tulips, the nation's national flower, will feature in the rebranded tourism campaign.Credit: iStock

The €200,000 ($319,000) rebrand is part of an update of the country's international image that includes a push to more sustainably manage large numbers of tourists who visit the country each year.

It will also include a logo that combines the initials NL with an orange tulip, the Netherlands' national flower.

The Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions previously used the symbol of a tulip and the word Holland.

Holland is not the official name of the entire country and refers to two of the 12 provinces, North Holland, which includes Amsterdam and Haarlem, and South Holland, where The Hague, Rotterdam and Leiden are situated.

A woman waves as she poses with tulips she picked for free in front of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on National Tulip Day in 2019.

A woman waves as she poses with tulips she picked for free in front of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on National Tulip Day in 2019.Credit: AP

The tourism industry started promoting the nation using the nickname 25 years ago but now wants to present the commerce, science and politics of the whole country.

An unnamed spokesman for the Foreign Ministry told news agency EFE: "It is a little strange to promote only a small part of the Netherlands abroad, that is, only Holland."

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The change of image was part of a renewed tourism strategy that aims to put an end to large numbers of visitors on cheap flights, particularly to Amsterdam, and promote more sustainable and respectful travel.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade Sigrid Kaag says changes will be beneficial for the tourism sector.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade Sigrid Kaag says changes will be beneficial for the tourism sector.Credit: Netherlands government

Minister for Foreign Trade Sigrid Kaag said the new style would help show what the Netherlands has to offer visitors, whether they come to live, work or holiday.

She added that it could be used in different industries "from high tech to agri-food and from sport to culture".

Minister of Economic Affairs Eric Wiebes said the Netherlands had the most competitive economy in Europe and the fourth in the world and frequently presented innovative solutions to technical and social challenges.

The tourism board will also close its offices in Spain, Italy and Japan in the spring of 2020 in favour of countries that send larger numbers of recurring visitors, tourists and business travellers.

It said it expected the number of international visitors to reach 30 million in 2030, which will increase the pressure on the quality of life and the environment, and makes it necessary not only to promote the country, but also to emphasise a broad and sustainable development of the Netherlands.

EFE

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