“We have been working on the Chinese market for three years. China’s a growth market,” says Qing van Rossum of the Royal Delft factory and museum in Delft. “Thousands of Chinese come for tours every year, there’s huge growth. It doubles every year, both in numbers of visitors and turnover. We have high expectations. Our ambition is 10,000. And the Russians are coming too. They have a lot of money.”

 

Royal Delft has been producing the famous Delft Blue pottery since 1653. It is not just an export product, the factory also attracts lots of tourists. There are even Chinese and Russian-speaking guides.

 

Royal Delft is one company in the tourism sector which is adapting to the new opportunities. The Dutch Tourism Board is at the heart of the changes taking place.

 

The board has offices in all kinds of countries, so it is in a position to focus directly on the four BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China. In 2009, around 40,000 tourists came from these countries, only four percent of the total number of foreign visitors. Nevertheless, the tourist board believes it’s important to concentrate on these countries, because their economies are developing fast.

 

“People from these countries are starting to travel. Especially from China, which is becoming an absolute superpower,” says Jos Vranken of the Dutch Tourism Board. “First they explore their own country, then neighbouring countries. In growth markets like this, you see they start to want to go to far away countries. And the Netherlands, like other European destinations, wants to benefit more than average.”

 

Most tourists by far come from the Netherlands itself or neighbouring countries. And of course, the tourism sector is used to the Americans and Japanese. But while the overall number of foreign visitors fell by two percent in 2009, dut to the global economic crisis, the number from BRIC countries actually increased.

 

What do tourists actually want to see? “We try to meet the wishes of the market as much as possible with the ‘Holland’ brand. The Chinese, Russians and Indians have a preconceived image of the Netherlands: clogs, windmills, tulips, old masters. We call them the Holland Classics. As time passes, tastes change. Americans have a much broader view than they did 20 years ago. I think the BRIC tourists will change theirs more quickly,” says Mr Vranken.

 

While some hotels are not interested in an influx of Chinese visitors, others are being bought up by Chinese businessmen. They fill the single rooms with two bunk beds to keep the prices low. As a result busloads of Chinese tourists stay there.

 

According to the tourist board, hotel owners have to decide whether or not to focus on visitors from the BRIC countries. If they do, they have to find out more about their guests. Dutch food is often too bland, Indians are often vegetarian, they like more service and want family rooms. “Anyone who has saved to go on holiday wants to be treated a bit like a king." says Mr Vranken. "We could do with a little more service with a smile in the Netherlands.”
 
Lead photo: docman at Flickr