I have lived in this village all my life, and much has changed during the last ten years. Tourism is part of that change, but it is not the only cause. If you ask whether visitors are simply good or bad for the village, I cannot give such an easy answer.
Most tourists who come here are older people looking for peace, nature and a slower pace. Many seniors from the western Netherlands have bought or built a second home in the Achterhoek. Some move here permanently after retirement.
The newcomers are becoming part of village life. I have a card club with several friends, and since last year someone from outside the area has joined us. I would never have imagined that before, but I enjoy being together.
A newcomer stopped feeling like an outsider when we began sitting around the same card table.
Seeing people enjoying themselves also encourages local residents to do more. The tourist office organises activities for seniors, and we can participate too. Even the nursing home expanded because older newcomers want to spend the final part of their lives here.
Still, tourism should not grow without limits. I would support a rule restricting how much land outsiders can buy for construction, similar to what I believe exists on the touristic island of Texel. If too much land becomes second homes, the village may gradually stop belonging to the people who live here year-round.
Visitors should also respect local customs. They sometimes enter our church or attend a service, which is welcome. But they should not automatically sit in the front rows. Local families have occupied those places for years, and a visitor should notice and respect that.
Hospitality works both ways: we welcome visitors into village life, and they should respect our habits and acknowledge that some places belong to the original community.
What I need most is better public transport. Young people continue leaving rural areas, while the number of older residents and retirees increases. We once had a dial-a-bus that travelled a fixed route when people booked it. It did not need to run empty every hour, yet it gave us real independence.
That service disappeared because it was probably not profitable enough. A cheaper door-to-door mobility taxi would also help. Tourism could create enough demand to make such transport possible for visitors and residents together.
I am not against the people who come here; I am simply hoping their presence might help bring back the bus that used to arrive when we called.