Amsterdam is the second most popular Dutch destination for foreign policy tourists who want to learn about bicycle policies, according to Fietsberaad. However, Asian visitors seem to consider these trips primarily as outings.
The keenest visitors are Japanese and South Koreans. Critics question the usefulness of their visits: the situation in Asia would be very different from the Netherlands and Asian visitors would be ill informed of the Dutch situation.
Houten receives 15 to 25 foreign groups per year; Amsterdam 6 to 10 per year and Groningen and Utrecht about 6 per year. Amsterdam spends 2 to 4 hours per visiting group. The city does not show visitors around the city; it has outsourced this to cyclists’ organisation Fietsersbond.
Fietsberaad, an expertise centre on bicycle policies, will launch an English-language website later this month.
Source: Fietsberaad (in Dutch for now). Photo: smcgee / Flickr
Tags: Amsterdam, Bicycle, Japanese, South Korean
