Chinese company outing hits Holland, bringing 4,500 workers

DutchNews.nl, May 29, 2015

Some 4,500 Chinese workers are in the Netherlands for the next few days for a mass company outing, the biggest single group of Chinese tourists ever to visit the Netherlands. 

The group, who will be ferried around the country in a fleet of 90 buses, work for a Chinese company called Perfect, broadcaster Nos reports. 

They are staying in hotels throughout the country including Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam and Utrecht, the broadcaster says. In total, the Dutch tourist board expects the visit to generate up to €8m. 

Last year, some 250,000 Chinese tourists visited the Netherlands and the tourist board expects this to rise to 300,000 this year. 

According to RTL news, their number could triple to 800,000 within the next five years. Most are expected to visit Amsterdam, where many city centre residents are worried about the growing number of tourists.

‘It is getting out of hand. There are so many tourists that we can hardly do normal shopping any more,’ Harry Haspers of the local residents’ association told RTL.