Netherlands to drop ‘Holland’ nickname as part of rebranding

The Dutch government announced that it will officially drop their country’s nickname, “Holland,” and only use the name The Netherlands, in an effort to rebrand their “international image.” 

The change will mandate that starting in January, “companies, embassies, ministries and universities will only be able to refer to the state using its legitimate title,” according to The Sydney Morning Herald. 

Previously, The Netherlands’s Board of Tourism and Conventions used the word Holland and the symbol of the Dutch tulip as its logo. The switch from Holland to The Netherlands was prompted by the tourism industry’s desire to represent the whole of the country. The moniker Holland only refers to two out of the 12 provinces in The Netherlands. 

An anonymous spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry told the news agency EFE, “It is a little strange to promote only a small part of the Netherlands abroad, that is, only Holland,” The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The change is part of The Netherlands’s new tourism strategy that “aims to put an end to large numbers of visitors on cheap flights, particularly to Amsterdam, and promote more sustainable and respectful travel,” according to the news source.