Zeeland calls tourists to stay away

The municipalities in the coastal province of Zeeland are calling on tourists from Germany and the rest of the Netherlands to stay away during the coronavirus crisis. The care facilities in Zeeland really cannot accommodate any extra people, is their message, Metro reports.

"It is unprecedented for Zeeland to advertise not to come. But it is also an unprecedented time that we have entered," mayor Rob van der Zwag of Veere said on behalf of the local security region Veiligheidsregio Zeeland. "The arrival of tourists in Zeeland puts pressure on healthcare that is unsustainable. Our care is already vulnerable and almost all Zeelanders are now also remaining in the province."

"The tourism industry is one of the main pillars of the Zeeland economy and is enormous in size," Van der Zwag said. Veere, for example, counts around 22 thousand residents, and 73 thousand beds for tourists. Mayors cannot yet oblige accommodations to stay closed. But they are working on measures to keep tourists away for the time being, Van der Zwag said.