Hans Doets, Director of The Hague Marketing Bureau

Qingdao Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2018 Exclusive Interview: Hague, the Second United Nation City

Tourism development is very important for the growth of the local economy. In general tourism provides a substantial part of the employability, for example in Hague 10 %. The more tourists come the more the turnover of hotels, museums, attractions, restaurants, taxi’s and public transport will increase.

Release time : 2018-09-28 14:47:25

source : World Tourism Cities Magazine

Tourism generates 10% of employment in The Hague

Tourism development is very important for the growth of the local economy. In general tourism provides a substantial part of the employability, for example in Hague 10 %. The more tourists come the more the turnover of hotels, museums, attractions, restaurants, taxi’s and public transport will increase. Also new leisure and cultural initiatives will be developed. In total the local economy will grow and the quality level of leisure and cultural offer, also for inhabitants, will improve. The local leisure industry is in terms of employability intensive especially. It provides especially jobs for the middle and low educated groups. On the labour market there is always a shortage for this kind of jobs. Important is that people have more possibilities for leisure activities, they have more free time and their financial position has improved. The local economic growth is expected to be structural.

Tourism promotes cultural communications between different regions nationalism

In my younger years, I am 65 now, a tourist or a foreigner in general was an interesting phenomenon. We were curious and eager to get in contact. We dreamed of the faraway countries the foreigner came from. So you can say that the conditions were good for cultural communication between two regions. Nowadays we are living in an area of upcoming nationalism. Something or someone from abroad is not any longer without doubt positive. Traveling and flying influence the climate in a negative way, big numbers of tourists cause pollution, disturb the living environment, making too much noise and foreigners steal the jobs of locals is more and more communis opinio. But of course tourism can promote cultural communications between two different regions nationalism in spite. On company level employees of companies with a different geographical background get to know each other. You never know the consequences, maybe

a long lasting relationship or even marriage. And coming many Chinese tourists to the Netherlands the Dutch leisure industry is forced to welcome the new groups. They have to know and to learn the Chinese customs. And no doubt this will lead to cultural communication and exchange.

Long-term wins and tailormade trips

Stop thinking in terms of quick wins. The visitor as a client should come back so invest in the relationship. Tour operators, airliners but also cities, hotels, museums and attractions should be aware of this. And of course the visitor of the future wants to have the possibility to choose. No confection but tailormade trips. Give the impression that their choice is unique! Mass tourism will anyway come to an end.

Our duty to support and join the WTCF

I never attend a WTCF activity. The consulate of the Chinese embassy in Holland made us aware of the WTCF. Doing already eight years marketing activities on the Chinese travel market, we think it is a very interesting possibility of expending our network. This is the first year of our membership and we will continue it surely. Maybe in future the city of Hague can play a role in strengthen the network. Hague is an international city, after New York the second United Nation city, so in fact it is our duty to support and join the WTCF.

We hope the WCTF informs us about changes on the Chinese travel market or about the very quick developments of the Chinese social media. Knowledge about Chinese consumer behavior is important for us. We want Chinese guests feel themselves welcome to Hague and feel at home!