Holland or the Netherlands? Why tourism dropped Holland

“Holland” is not another name for the Netherlands. It refers to just two of the country’s 12 provinces, North Holland and South Holland, and in January 2020 the Dutch tourist board stopped using it to promote the whole country.

So the short answer is this: the country is the Netherlands, and Holland is a region inside it. The rest of the story is why the distinction suddenly mattered.

What the tourist board decided

At the start of 2020, the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) began promoting the country as “the Netherlands” instead of “Holland.” According to Lonely Planet’s and other press reports, the logo changed too: the word “Holland” next to an orange tulip gave way to “Netherlands” beside the initials “NL,” designed to look like a tulip.

I’m reporting this as a change in how the tourist board markets the country. The press coverage I read doesn’t establish that the name Holland was banned anywhere else, and Dutch people themselves still use it in everyday speech.

Why it was done

The reason was tourism pressure. Since “Holland” covers only two provinces, using it as the country’s name sent visitors to the same few places: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague all sit in those two provinces. Reports at the time said the tourist board wanted to spread visitors across the rest of the country, and that it stopped actively promoting the country in some markets because of concerns about overcrowding.

It fits a wider pattern in Europe of places trying to manage crowds. For other examples see places that limit tourists.

What to use when you travel and write

• Use “the Netherlands” for the country. That’s the safe choice in an itinerary, a visa form or a conversation about the whole country.
• Use “Holland” for the region. It’s accurate for North and South Holland, including Amsterdam.
• Don’t correct anyone mid-conversation. Plenty of Dutch people say Holland themselves, and the tourist board’s rebrand was about marketing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Holland the same as the Netherlands?

No. Holland is two of the 12 provinces, North Holland and South Holland. The Netherlands is the whole country.

Did the Netherlands change its name in 2020?

No. The country’s name didn’t change. The tourist board stopped using “Holland” in its promotion and adopted “Netherlands” with an “NL” logo.

Why did the Dutch tourist board stop saying Holland?

To stop concentrating visitors in two provinces and to spread tourism across the country.

Sources

• The Netherlands sheds its “Holland” nickname in the new year, Lonely Planet: the 2020 rebrand and the logo change.
• Don’t call the Netherlands “Holland”, Mental Floss: the two provinces out of 12 and the tourism-pressure reasoning.

Tourist-board policy can change. Check the NBTC for current guidance.