Toespraak van staatssecretaris Van Dam bij seminar over toerisme in Zuid-Korea

Toespraak | 27-09-2016

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the warm reception in your beautiful country. I’m afraid I haven’t been able to see very much of it yet, since we only arrived late yesterday afternoon. But I hope to get the chance to do so in the next few days. Otherwise I will certainly come back as a tourist!

And I invite you to visit the Netherlands as tourists. Our country is less than half the size of yours, so it’s an excellent destination for a short break. The Netherlands is being promoted as 'Holland City'. It’s about the size of a big metropolis, with the diversity of an entire country.

I’m happy to say more and more tourists are realising this. Especially tourists from Asia. And the number of South Koreans visiting the Netherlands is increasing by five to ten per cent each year.

Most tourists come to Amsterdam. And that’s understandable, because it's an amazing city. In Amsterdam you can wander along our famous canals, lined with historic merchants’ houses and warehouses. It's like walking in a painting by a Dutch master. And you can see the paintings themselves in the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, which are practically next door to each other.

But there's much more to my country than Amsterdam. We want people to see as much of the Netherlands as possible, so we've linked up with other places. Both literally and figuratively. Literally, via the best road network in the world and our excellent public transport. In a mere three hours you can cross the entire country. And figuratively in the form of narratives. Let me take you on a narrative journey around the Netherlands.

For the full Van Gogh experience, you might for instance travel from Amsterdam to Nuenen, in the south of the country. There you can see the landscape that inspired Van Gogh in his early years as an artist, as you cycle along a glow-in-the-dark cycle path inspired by his painting The Starry Night. You can see the little church that he painted so often, and the watermill.

While you’re in the south, why not head west to visit the impressive Delta Works in Zeeland? This network of dams and barriers protects the south-west of the Netherlands from flooding.

Our age-old battle against water has shaped our landscape. In our national parks, which in my opinion are of world class, you can enjoy the natural environment while also learning about our history. You’ll find out how the Dutch have dealt with water over the centuries. By building dikes around lakes and inland seas, and pumping away the water to create land. By cutting peat from the fens to use as fuel, creating lakes in the process. Lakes that in some places were turned into reclaimed land, and elsewhere became bogs. In various national parks you will see heathland and dunes, a legacy of livestock and arable farming, traditionally important sectors in the Netherlands.

You’ll also see the battle against water in the man-made features of our landscape: the dikes and polders, the windmills and canals. The village of Kinderdijk, for example, is well worth a visit. It has the country’s largest concentration of old windmills.

From there, I would invite you to travel north.

Via the world-famous Keukenhof park with its stunning floral displays, to Giethoorn, the 'Little Venice' of the Netherlands, with its miles of picturesque canals, bridges and traditional farms where the farmers still wear clogs.

Then it's time to catch your breath on one of the Frisian Islands in the most northerly part of our country. Here you can walk, cycle, and, in summer, lie on the beach.

You can also treat yourself to some retail therapy. Our country has excellent shopping opportunities: from luxury brand stores in the capital to designer outlets in the regions.

Last but not least, wherever you are, you’ll always find delicious food. Asian cuisine is wildly popular in the Netherlands, and the Korean barbecue is becoming the next big thing. But if you want to try something different, you’ll find most international cuisines in the Netherlands. Or why not sample one of our Dutch dishes? Nothing beats a hotchpotch of potatoes, vegetables and smoked sausage on a cold day!

Ladies and gentlemen, the connections between our two countries are excellent – seven direct flights a week.

And the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions, the tourism sector and the government are delighted to welcome Korean tourists and tour operators to our country. So I would say: come to the Netherlands and see for yourselves what our country has to offer!

Thank you.