Windmills & Wallets: The Dutch Village Charging Tourists for the Experience

The iconic Dutch village of Zaanse Schans, known for its breathtaking windmills, is implementing an entry fee to manage the overwhelming number of visitors it attracts. Last year, a staggering 2.6 million tourists visited this quaint village, which has a resident population of just 100. In an effort to control tourism, the local council announced that starting next spring, an entry fee of €17.50 (approximately $20.50) will be charged to visitors from outside the area. Marieke Verweij, director of the village’s museum, expressed concerns over the increasing visitor numbers and the resulting invasion of locals’ privacy, with tourists often wandering into private gardens and homes.

The village’s windmills, celebrated for their beauty, draw crowds eager for the perfect selfie in front of these picturesque structures. The proposed fee will streamline entry by including access to two paid attractions: the village’s museum and the interiors of the windmills, both of which are culturally significant. Notably, the museum features a painting by Claude Monet, who captured the windmills in 1871. With half of current visitors expected to pay the fee, the village anticipates an annual revenue increase of around €24.5 million to fund maintenance and improvements.

However, local business owners are apprehensive about the potential drop in visitors due to the new cost. Shop owners like Sterre Schaap, who runs a local gift shop, fear that the fee will deter budget-conscious tourists and hurt their financial viability. Conversations with visitors reveal mixed feelings: while some like Ishan from Canada hesitate at the fee, others like Elisia from Albania support it as a necessary measure to preserve the village’s charm. The historical significance and the unique tourist experience at Zaanse Schans are further compared to entry fees in places like Venice and Bhutan, indicating a growing trend in tourism management. As the new entry system rolls out, tourists will be learning to pre-plan their visits to this picturesque locale.