With its wind mills and their houses of Aguilón on the edge of the river, the picturesque town of Zaense Schans, popular between tourists and Tiktokers, is an essential place for those who visit the Netherlands. But this village with buildings of hundreds to northern Amsterdam has become “a national symbol of the Surcontarisma”, according to local authorities, which wish to establish a controversial entry rate.
The heated debate on the entry at 17.50 euros planned for next year is part of a global context of rejection of mass tourism, which has led the coveted destinations as Venice to be paid for the day.
An artificial creation
On this summer day, the crowd is formed, under a radiant sun, long lines in front of the portals that lead to the famous windmills, each waiting for their turn to take photos of the bucolic landscape. Throughout the day, buses pour waves of tourists who gradually flee into the small town whose access remains free, says AFP. For the municipal council of the neighboring city of Zaanstad, the paid entrance is essential to preserve heritage, old buildings experience “strong pressure” due to the number of tourists.
Around 2.6 million tourists were there last year. If no one acts, this figure should increase to 3 million in the coming years, according to the Municipal Council. An entry rate could reduce the annual number of visitors to around 1.8 million and finance the preservation of historical buildings. “Nothing is not an option. Without sufficient resources to ensure proper maintenance, the heritage will be lost in the short term (five to seven years),” said the municipality of the AFP.
What many tourists ignore is that if most buildings in the village datan of the 16th century, the site itself is an artificial creation. In fact, after World War II, old wooden waters were threatened with the disappearance throughout the region. Anxious to preserve this heritage, Mayor Joris in ‘T Veld developed a plan: transfer these houses to a new protected site.
Worried merchants
The first mill arrived in 1955, the first house a few years later. Finally, the “Zaanse Schans” site has become famous enough to be officially “inaugurated” by Queen Juliana in 1972. “The Zaanse Schans has never been designed to attract international crowds as is the case today, with millions of visitors from all over the world,” said Vicealde Breunesse.
But for Ingrid Kraakman, a resident, this project would be catastrophic for cheese milk where he works. “As a resident of this region, I don’t want to live behind a fence … it is not acceptable,” said this 62 -year -old resident in AFP since his 18th -century home located in the heart of the village. Ingrid Kraakman and her husband Ko have lived in the region for 33 years and think that a paid entry would be fatal to the local economy and employment.
Although its cheese dairy attracts crowds with free tastings and the sale of memories, it said a significant negative impact on consumption. A family of four should already pay around 80 euros with the parking lot, which would reduce the budget for purchases on the site, he said. “They are not going to buy cheese or watches. They will buy a memory or maybe the smallest cheese available,” he told AFP.
“Sometimes there are too many people”
The Kraakmans have collected more than 2,000 signatures for a referendum on the subject, but their initiative has remained a dead letter to the City Council. Aware of the hostility of certain inhabitants, the Municipal Council has committed that the site remains free for the inhabitants and that a physical fence is not installed around the area. Although the system is planned for next year, an amendment has been introduced to allow a possible postponement of the measure.
Most tourists interviewed by AFP believe that the trip is worth it, even if they had to pay. “It is a lovely place, but sometimes there are too many people and we cannot really make the most of the experience,” Deplato Robert Duque, a 35 -year -old Spanish framework, who says he is favorable to establishing an entry rate. For him, “it is good, it allows him to filter the arrival of tourists and benefit better from attractions.”
Source: BFM TV
