More and more people are causing noise disturbances, leaving litter, and not being respectful to islanders
Translated by Thomas Ansell
During the Coronavirus pandemic, more and more people have been heading to Ameland, causing issues on the island. Alderman Theo Faber (Ameland1) says that “tourists now behave differently to how we are used to”, sometimes trespassing on private land, leaving litter, and causing a nuisance.
The Gemeente Ameland, Wagenborg ferries, VVV Ameland, and the island’s nature protection agency have all teamed up on a new campaign called “welcome to our world”, with 25,000 euros put towards it. As reported by the Omrop Fryslân.
Alderman Faber also says that more tourists now bring their car to the island, and sometimes go into private areas on e-bikes. Moreover, impatient tourists have been known to snap their fingers at staff on terraces.
“The word ‘welcome’ is in the name of the campaign for a reason”, says Faber, “we want to be very open to guests, and just remind them of how the island works and what to expect.”
It is possible that in the future more attention will be given to enforcing the rules, including using council officers.
Photo by Tobias Bjerknes on Unsplash
