Holland Michiganchigan Tourism Sector

 Holland Michiganchigan Tourism Sector

International tourism refers to tourism carried out across country boundaries by tourists to foreign counties to view natural and human-made landscapes, buildings, economic activities, and historical sites present in other countries (Choudhary, 2017). In  Holland, international tourism has played a significant role in its economy. In the past, Holland acted as a place of refuge for people in search of freedom. In an aim to enhance international tourism, residents had to build a channel for Lake Michigan to help it have freshwater in years to come. Immigrants also cleared a piece of land at the city center, which was to act as a market square.

To grow the transportation sector, residents extended two railroads, which had to pass through  Holland, hence people could travel easily in and out of the city. With the help of the surrounding regions,  Holland was able to sustain itself, and as a result, the residents acquired amenities to help ease their way of life. These included the introduction of a water system, mobile network, electricity installation, and delivery of mails conducted free of any charges. These were significant milestones that helped in the growth of international tourism in the area (“Our History”, n.d.).

International tourism has helped  Holland Michigan grow economically. For example, the tulip season, which is of great importance to the people, attracts tourists from all over the world to see the fantastic decorations made using these beautiful and rare species of flowers. Tourists not only come to view decorations in the city but also buy flowers to decorate their environment. International tourism also affects the livelihoods of the residents. Local vendors have made changes in the way they conduct business to satisfy demand for goods and services by the tourist, hence earning more to be able to provide for their families (“Our History”, n.d.).

International tourism has several benefits to  Holland, which include an increase in revenue, employment, and growth of the infrastructure. Holland is known for having many people engage in downtown shopping. In recent years more stalls have been opened to provide adequate services and goods for the large population. Downtown Michigan offers various types of delicious meals for the tourist, eating in a Bavarian hotel, or enjoying drinks in an Irish pub creates the best memories for tourist. Such acts increase the revenue collected by the country (Nastase, 2017).

In  Holland, the popularly known tulip flowers are reducing, which is a result of overtourism in the area. Popular villages known for their windmills are also decreasing. These are some of the challenges  Holland Michigan is facing as a result of overtourism. The board of tourism in the area in changing plans to see ways in which it can handle the vast masses of tourists expected to enter the country using road transport, airports, and by train. The board has embarked on a path to stop actions that influence more tourists coming into the region. The board has also held meetings with the Dutch government to negotiate on the budget that will increase money allocated to  Holland. New areas of travel have been emerging to handle the number of tourists in the country (Boffey, 2019).

Globally, Holland has the potential of becoming the most visited tourist attraction Mathew & Sreejesh, 2017), which is a result of the city investing in tourism. For the last few years, tourism in the area has expanded rapidly than the economy. Locally, the town of Holland also has the potential of having the most vibrant tourist economy. The tourism sector comprises of taxis, cafes, air transportation, travel companies, and the people’s craft and way of life. In 2016, are sectors of international tourism had recorded tremendous growth in the revenue they acquired (Solanki, 2017).

Due to overtourism, project Stad in Balans began to take effect to promote development in Holland. Plans are underway to maximize profits as well as manage the increasing number of tourists in the city. The project aims at achieving four main agendas which include, to enable diversity in areas of hospitality and retail industry, reduce chaos brought about by disorderly tourist, create more tourist cites to cover the whole city, to expand the space on the city streets and urban centers (Noordeloos, 2018).

Policymakers in  Holland have established rules that govern residents and tourists on cannabis consumption. No individual in  Holland is allowed to manufacture, store, import, or sell drugs to other countries. In coffee shops present in the city, shops are limited to sell non-alcohol drinks, and in the case of cannabis, only five grams can be allowed for an individual. Any individual under the age of 18 cannot access cannabis from a coffee shop. Such measures have been set in place to avoid tourists from living disorderly during their stay (Mathew & Sreejesh, 2017). There are policies set in place to minimize overcrowding from tourists in the city; one is by expanding the spaces allocated for tourists in urban centers and also investing in rural areas to spread tourist to different parts of the city.

Tourists present in the area describe Holland to be the best place to spend one’s holiday.  They explain how fascinating the city looks like during the tulip celebrations. There are over 500 varieties of flowers to be capture on a camera. Tourists have the honor of regularly visiting flower plantations.  Holland captures the eye when it comes to artistic buildings. Along the coast of Lake Michigan, the city locals have invested in building breweries and planting of orchards, which provides a suitable spot to enjoy at night with your friends (“25 Best Things to Do in Holland, Michigan”, 2020).

Residents of Holland express their gratitude when it comes to tourism in their country. Locals have seen tremendous growth in their economy; as a result, the development of the cities infrastructure. Residents have also managed to solve the challenges they faced due to the lack of adequate goods to provide for the growing tourist population. As a result, residents have increased standards of living. Locals also declare that due to overtourism in the city, they are facing challenges of inadequate provision of basic amenities. Each year it’s recorded that house rates are increasing, and it’s becoming harder for residents to pay their rent (Ioannides et al., 2018).

Economic growth comes out as a similarity discussed by residents, policymakers, and tourists. Residents indicate that tourism has resulted in the creation of employment for many in the city. Holland has agriculture as one of its pillars in rural areas. To influence the number of tourists coming to the city, residents have plantations where they grow different kinds of flowers. Tulip festival is a time where tourists from all over the world come to enjoy the view of the various types of tulips (Bavel, 2016).

Policymakers are also ensuring that they can maximize the profits acquired through tourism in the area while ensuring that they can manage the number of tourists entering the country (Polzin et al., 2018). Policies have been acted upon to help policymakers achieve their economic agenda. Policymakers, with the help of investors, are constructing a better-equipped transportation system. The use of the train system in the city is helping to reduce the congestion of people and cars in urban areas.

Implementation of Law and order is another similarity found among the tourism stakeholders in Holland. Policymakers are ensuring that tourists and residents do not engage in behaviors that break the law. They have passed laws that ensure no person below the age of 18  can access cannabis. People willing to consume marijuana are restricted to only 5 grams a day, and residents who own such coffee shops ensure that they abide by the law to enhance peace and stability (Mathew & Sreejesh, 2017).

References

Boffey, D. (2019). ‘We must act now’: Netherlands tries to control tourism boom. The Guardian. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/06/we-must-act-now-netherlands-tries-to-control-tourism-boom.

25 Best Things to Do in Holland, Michigan. VacationIdea. (2020). Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://vacationidea.com/destinations/best-things-to-do-in-holland-mi.html.

Choudhary, A. (2017). The difference between international and domestic tourism. Toronto School of Management. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://www.torontosom.ca/blog/the-difference-between-international-and-domestic-tourism.

Dutch Drug Policy. Holland. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/information/general/dutch-drug-policy.htm.

Ioannides, D., Röslmaier, M., & van der Zee, E. (2018). Airbnb as an instigator of ‘tourism bubble’ expansion in Utrecht’s Lombok neighbourhood. Tourism Geographies, 21(5), 822-840. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2018.1454505

Mathew, P., & Sreejesh, S. (2017). Impact of responsible tourism on destination sustainability and quality of life of community in tourism destinations. Journal Of Hospitality And Tourism Management, 31, 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2016.10.001

Nastase, M. (2017). Top 10 Restaurants In Holland, Michigan. culture trip. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/michigan/articles/top-10-local-restaurants-in-holland-michigan/.

Noordeloos, T. (2018). Sustainable tourism development in Amsterdam Oud-West. Research In Hospitality Management, 8(1), 73-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2018.1501958

Our History.  Holland Michiganchigan. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://www.holland.org/our-history.

Polzin, F., Sanders, M., & Stavlöt, U. (2018). Do investors and entrepreneurs match? – Evidence from The Netherlands and Sweden. Technological Forecasting And Social Change, 127, 112-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.07.016

Solanki, M. (2017). Growing tourism in the Netherlands, growing importance to the Dutch economy. IAMEXPAT. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/growing-tourism-netherlands-growing-importance-dutch-economy

Van Bavel, B. (2016). Rural development and landownership in Holland, c. 1400–1650. In The political economy of the Dutch Republic (pp. 183-212). Routledge.