With fewer tourists in Friesland due to the Coronavirus pandemic, moving the office now seems a clever move
Translated by Thomas Ansell
The city of Leeuwarden has steadily increased in popularity with tourists in the last few years, capitalising on its pretty and canal-laden city centre and various cultural outlets that were thrust into the spotlight following its year as European Capital of Culture 2018. Up until now, tourists wanting information have been able to visit a large VVV office located at the base of the Achmeatoren.
As reported by the Omrop Fryslân, Leeuwarden’s city council has decided to shut the old information point and move it to a new location. The only issue is that the city has not yet announced a new location, leaving any tourists in the city bereft of a physical tourist point for at least a few weeks.
Wethouder Bert Wassink says: “since we’re now in the ‘Corona times’ we don’t have too many tourists, so we can use the time well.”
The going of the VVV at the Achmeatoren isn’t without controversy; having been in place in the city for 125 years the Gemeente Leeuwarden decided that it was too large of a financial drain earlier this month, and that the city was better served by a non-VVV branded centre run by Gemeente personnel. The Gemeente then announced plans for a new tourist concept to be housed in the city’s shopping centre.
Typically, the Gemeente has decided to dispense with paid staff and its new Visit Leeuwarden centre will mostly be staffed by volunteers and students.
Image: A VVV tourism office in Amsterdam in 1981. Via the Dutch National Archives on Wikimedia. License here.
