Photo: Theo Donkers (left) of Toerisme De Baronie (Gilze and Rijen) and Lammert Westra of Toerisme Alphen-Chaam at the Ossengoor on the border between the two municipalities. The fen is situated at the junction of the Oude Maastrichtsebaan and the Geuzenpad. Photo: Joyce van Belkom/pix4profs.
BN/DeStem 24 January 2020 – Berry van der Heijden
The tourism associations Toerisme De Baronie van Gilze en Rijen and Toerisme Alphen-Chaam are set to merge. They will continue under the new name Toerisme De Baronie – with the subtitle Toerisme De Baronie in Brabant. Their aim is to promote ‘Experience Brabant’.
The 150 members of Toerisme De Baronie operate in the area between Tilburg, Breda and Turnhout. Dongen and Oosterhout also count. In 2014, Toerisme De Baronie started in Gilze and Rijen. Alphen-Chaam also operated independently. Toerisme De Baronie quickly sought cooperation with tourism entrepreneurs, from campsites, hotels and bee farm to pancake restaurants and catering.
The municipalities themselves do not have any major attractions, so initiatives were developed. These range from cycling and walking routes with themes ranging from war to smuggling trails in a green, rural setting with unique stream valleys, combined with visits to local eateries and pubs. But there are also day trips to the Efteling, to festivals, a museum, Breda city centre or the railway zone in Tilburg, to name but a few.
Cooperation with Alphen-Chaam flourished rapidly. The third ABG municipality, Baarle-Nassau, is pursuing its own course. “That’s no reason for us not to map out routes or day trips via Baarle as well,” say board members Theo Donkers (Toerisme De Baronie) and Lammert Westra (Toerisme Alphen-Chaam). “Tourists don’t look at municipal boundaries; they look to see if there’s that Brabant warmth and friendliness.”
It soon became clear to members and the board that the merger would also help to ensure the survival of local shops in the smaller villages. There are already 550 holiday packages on offer. Donkers has calculated that there are 500,000 stay overnight stays each year in the two municipalities.
“That means around twenty campsites and farm stays, as well as hotels and B&Bs. Linberg, Flaasbloem and Van der Valk are some of the major players.”
The board members believe there are plenty of opportunities for growth. The annual plan for 2020 is already in place. “We want to raise our profile and encourage local businesses. We’ll have a single joint brochure available at key information points in every village, as well as a joint website. That way, you can find out what activities are on offer, where to eat, and so on.”
‘Happen en Trappen’ is a new initiative. “We’re joining a national organisation. It promotes routes where you can cycle from lunch to dinner. Happen en Stappen is also on its way,” say Westra and Donkers. Another new addition is a seven-day walking holiday covering 140 kilometres along the borders of our region. Other potential attractions include the Rijen army camp dating from around 1830, the story of the Templar monastery in Alphen, the sauna complex in Chaam and Belgium.
The members of both associations are due to formally approve the merger on 30 January.
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