Photo: Theo Donkers (left) of Toerisme De Baronie (Gilze and Rijen) and Lammert Westra of Tourism Alphen-Chaam at the Ossengoor on the border of the two municipalities. The fen is located 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 of Gilze and Rijen and Tourism Alphen-Chaam are to merge. They will continue under the new name Toerisme De Baronie - with the subtitle Toerisme De Baronie in Brabant. The aim: to propagate '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 do not have any major attractions themselves, so initiatives were developed. From cycling and walking routes with themes from war to smuggling trails in green rural surroundings with unique stream valleys, combined with a visit to catering establishments. But also day trips to the Efteling, to festivals, a museum or downtown Breda or the railway zone in Tilburg to name a few.
With Alphen-Chaam, cooperation flourished quickly. The third ABG municipality, Baarle-Nassau, draws more of its own plan. "For us no reason not to also put routes or excursions through Baarle on paper," say board members Theo Donkers (Toerisme De Baronie) and Lammert Westra (Tourism Alphen-Chaam). "The tourist does not look at municipal boundaries, but whether there is that Brabant cosiness."
It soon became clear to members and board that merger also strengthens the survival of shops in the smaller villages. There are already 550 arrangements. Donkers calculated that there are 500,000 stay overnight stays annually in the two municipalities.
"Then you are talking about around 20 campsites and camping at the farm, hotels, B&B. Linberg, Flaasbloem and Van der Valk are some of the big ones."
Growth opportunities galore, the board members believe. The annual plan for 2020 is already ready. "We want to increase visibility and activate entrepreneurs. We will have one joint brochure that is in good info posts in each village and a joint website. So you can read what there is to do in terms of activities, where you can get something to eat and so on."
Happen and Trappen is new. "We are joining a national organisation. That advertises routes, where you can go from lunch to dinner. Happen and Stappen is also coming," Westra and Donkers say. Also new is a seven-day hiking holiday of 140 kilometres along the borders of our area. Potentials still include the Rijen army camp of around 1830, the story of the Templar monastery in Alphen, the sauna complex in Chaam and Belgium.
The members of the two associations have yet to formally approve the merger on 30 January.
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