DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

1 June 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Tourists told to behave in ‘Old Holland’ as popularity surges

March 15, 2017
Chinese tourists in Volendam. Photo: DutchNews.nl

The success of ‘Old Holland’ – Volendam, Marken and the Zaanse Schans –  as a tourist overflow for Amsterdam has led to holiday firms handing out rules for tourists so locals can live in peace, the Parool reports.

This week bus companies organising tours to the popular tourist destinations were given a map, developed by Amsterdam officials, which not only shows where to park and the best times to visit but also a set of rules for tourists, the paper writes.

These include not photographing locals without permission, not getting too close to their homes and not dropping litter.

‘It is confusing for tourists. The Zaanse Schans is like an open air museum and visitors just step into the houses’, Zaanse Schans director Peter-Jan van Steenbergen told the paper.

Van Steenbergen says things have improved since the days when locals were awakened by tour guides shouting through megaphones on a Sunday morning. The guides now use microphones and the tourists are wearing ear phones.

Coach parties

The worst offenders are the tourists who come by the busload. ‘They are only here for a short time and tend to feel they can do pretty much anything they like,’ Van Steenbergen is quoted as saying.

‘I talked to someone who opened the curtains in the morning and found himself staring at nine camera lenses. And visitors like to knock on the wooden walls of the houses to see if it’s really wood. Not very nice if  you’re sitting inside, of course,’ Van Steenbergen told the paper.

The rules are part of a bigger move towards managing the increasing number of tourists to the area. The Zaanse Schans windmill park has up to two million visitors a year but this number is expected to grow to three million in the next 10 years. Working with time slots may be inevitable, according to Van Steenbergen.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Society
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Dutch government websites still reliant on US cloud services
Ni hao! Amsterdam educational book sparks racism complaints
Artist Bas Kosters on the serious business of creating joy
Warm end to May, slightly cooler start to meteorological summer
From rooftops to refugee artists: 11 great things to do in June
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now