Why Dutch Officials Want You to Forget the Country of Holland

The Dutch nation has long been dealing with its identity crisis. For decades, the government used "Holland" and "the Netherlands'' {#blank#}1{#/blank#}to describe the country known for its iconic canals, tulip (郁金香)fields and windmills.

Rut starting from Jan, I, all official government communications and{#blank#}2{#/blank#}materials will use the Netherlands as its name.

The government has been working on a campaign that might{#blank#}3{#/blank#}the country's image in the face of growing international competition for the past 18 months, said Ingrid de Beer, the head of the public diplomacy section in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Our international image faces some challenges," she said. Research showed that many people do not know of the Netherlands or have {#blank#}4{#/blank#}concepts of the country. Young people, particularly those in countries farther away, are unfamiliar with the country.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of 12 provinces, two of which — Noord (North) Holland and Zuid (South) Holland make up Holland. Amsterdam, which {#blank#}5{#/blank#}about) 9 million travelers annually, and Keukenhof, one of the world's largest flower gardens and a popular attraction, are both in the Holland region.

The country's tourism board,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}to handle millions of tourists, stopped promoting its most famous attractions in favor of trying to encourage travelers to go to lesser-known destinations, according to a 2019 report. By 2030. the report predicted, the Netherlands could see {#blank#}7{#/blank#}of up to 42 million tourists - an enormous number for a country of 17 million.

The region of Holland has{#blank#}8{#/blank#}contributed the most to the country's economy and wealth, resulting in its name commonly being used to indicate the entire country.

But not anymore, the Dutch government insists. "We are fully aware that internationally, a strong image of the Netherlands contributes to achieving political objectives, promoting trade, attracting talent, investment and tourists and encouraging cultural and scientific {#blank#}9{#/blank#}," Ms. de Beer said.

Part of the campaign includes an updated logo, a "NL"{#blank#}10{#/blank#}to look like an orange-tulip, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The logo replaces the "Holland tulip/ which was created by the tourism board 25 years ago and used to promote the country.