Posted on: February 15, 2018
“Amsterdam must continue with its city promotion abroad!” That is what the directors of all Amsterdam’s cultural institutions (like the Van Gogh Museum & Rijksmuseum) advocate in Dutch newspaper “Het Parool.”
The tourism sector in amsterdam continues to grow. As a result some political parties want to shut down the subsidies for marketing of the tourism economy in Amsterdam. According to important cultural institutions, it is precisely Amsterdam marketing that contributes to the distribution of tourists over the city and the region, furthermore it brings in ‘quality visits’. “Cuts on this quality promotion means capital destruction and doesn’t show a long-term vision on the tourism economy in Amsterdam.”
Amsterdam’s Labour Party and GreenLeft have been calling for the ending of city promotion. Jan Paternotte of the Social Democrats argued that the NBTC should stop campaigns with a prominent role for Amsterdam. “Amsterdam promotes itself, it’s stupid to spend money on it.”
“Ending the promotion of Amsterdam is stupid”, thus: Taco Dibbits (Director of the Rijksmuseum), Axel Rüger (Director of the Van Gogh Museum), Ivo van Hove (Theatre Group), Judikje Kiers (Amsterdam Museum), Simon Reinink (The Royal Concert Building) and many others.
We hear it more and more often, the call for stopping the promotion of Amsterdam. The city is supposedly already busy enough. Tax money spent on marketing and branding could better be used elsewhere. Politicians make this point through their party programs. By stopping the promotion of Amsterdam you get the impression that all the problems of the city bustle are solved. We are convinced that this is short-sighted and unwise. As cultural institutions of Amsterdam and the metropolis, we jointly argue the opposite.
First of all Amsterdam needs organisations that focus on hospitality and connection and on promotion of quality visits plus the good distribution of people. Because they are all of great importance during these busy times in the city. Cutting down on quality promotion means capital destruction and does not show a long-term vision. Whilst we, the cultural institutions of the city and region, promote our own range, quality and hospitality, Amsterdam Marketing brings our total range into the limelight. It seduces Amsterdammers and stimulates the distribution of visitors across the city and region.
The information provision of Amsterdam Marketing is of a high level and lowers the threshold for cultural visits. Presenting the information about our offers in various ways and by making it visible to Amsterdammers and visitors to the city. Platforms like iAmsterdam.com for example. And it works for both large institutions and especially for those small institutions that have limited marketing budgets. This means that every day again we fundamentally work on the reputation and image of Amsterdam as a cultural city. A reputation which the people of Amsterdam can be proud of. Enthusing the people of Amsterdam to take part in all things cultural is the goal.
Furthermore that reputation is also there abroad. Just last week about 60 cultural institutions from Amsterdam visited Paris. Amsterdam showed both cultural and economic strength. When he next new city council decides, we strongly urge them to continue to focus on the promotion of our city’s culture. Also for the residents and visitors from home and abroad. Because each of us contributes to this, but most of all Amsterdam Marketing connects us. It brings the richness and hospitality in its fullest into the limelight.
I agree with the directors of the van Gogh Museum and Rijks museum. With a bigger budget; tourists can be informed better about ALL highlights in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands.
It took my quite a while to figure out that there are actually 3 different Red Light District areas in Amsterdam. How come does the City of Amsterdam do not promote the Red Light District behind Rijksmusem? Or at least give more information about this?