As an entrepreneur, I can only say that tourism has been very good for my business. Over time, it's created a lot of new jobs. The bakery in the village has started a lunchroom, there's a new gift shop full of trinkets and gadgets, and even a small gallery for the art lovers among us. It's not just the people directly in tourism who benefit — the ordinary middle class does too.
I think it's extremely positive, and I feel fortunate that so many people come here for the nature and the atmosphere. Only in high season does it get to be almost too much for me — my wife says the business always comes first, and our family gets whatever's left over. She's right about that. I have to rely on the summer, and it puts pressure on our family life.
What I see as a huge threat to tourism here — and I'm not alone in this — is the arrival of the Betuwelijn, a new freight railway running from the harbours of Rotterdam to the Ruhr. I understand the government's thinking, but to run that line through such a beautiful nature reserve?
We run a bungalow park, a different crowd — our guests behave well. But I'm a member of the local business association, and I hear other stories there. My park isn't right on the railway route, but my guests would still feel the disruption if they're out walking or cycling nearby. And that's exactly what most people come here for — the peace, the space, the nature. That's the Achterhoek's tourist product. It could soon be badly affected, and I worry about what that will mean.
The business is thriving — it's the quiet around it he's not sure will survive.