Beyond the Megacity: Small Places, Big Heart
It has never really mattered whether you work for major megacities or small rural municipalities. The scale differs, but the way of thinking remains the same.
We recently presented a tourism strategy to key stakeholders and the community in Westerkwartier—a newly merged municipality in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, formed through the merger of more than forty villages. The presentation reminded us how important it is to give plenty of time to the community and to the people who have to do the daily work for their place.
They always give back, and in Groningen they gave a lot back. The place also has much to offer. You can cycle for days or visit museums—from the Wierdenland Museum in Ezinge (with its unique horse grave) to the Abel Tasman Museum (yes, the one from 'Tasmania') in Lutjegast; you learn what a "Borg" is and what a "Steenhuis" is; or stay with the children on a farm or camp at the Nienoord recreation area.
What truly makes visiting such places special is that tourism—small-scale yet authentic—often runs on volunteers. That directly produces passionate people who also deserve passionate visitors.
Another observation from working with merged municipalities: when countries institute top-down mergers, they should better support that upscaling. Westerkwartier, for example, includes 44 towns and villages. When the distance between citizens and local government grows so much, you must also guard against the loss of community spirit and the connections between people and organisations.
So the strategy we developed wasn't only about attracting the right visitor—the one who has a heart for what residents value—but also about strengthening local identity. Unknown means unloved.
Here are some crisp takeaways others can borrow when working with smaller, merged, or "underdog" destinations:
Build reputation from the inside out: start with residents' pride and shared identity so they become authentic ambassadors—especially vital in young, fused municipalities with an "underdog" profile.
Choose niches, not "everyone": define passion-based segments (e.g., landscape photographers, walkers, mini-rail fans, birders) and design experiences for them; stop generic targeting.
Go pull, not push: rely on content, SEO, influencers, and referrals between local partners instead of broad ad buys; let great stories and products attract the right visitors.
Turn rural identity into experiences: make concepts like "Time & Space" and community tangible via routes, residencies, slow water experiences, dark-sky nights, and story-led programming.
Package and manage for depth: combine places and services into themed trips, steer flows (even with playful ideas like "selfie-less zones"), and protect sensitive landscapes while increasing dwell time.
Measure what matters: track reputation (sentiment), resident support, profile fit of visitors, and spend per trip—then iterate actions against objectives.
Treat agritourism as a core thread (not a niche): co-create with farmers, design real "farm-to-table" and short-chain experiences, and train hosts to meet city visitors' expectations—especially for youth and families.
Pilot before you scale: pick 1–2 niches and run a staged cycle—research → product development → targeted promotion → on-site experience—then expand based on results and monitoring.
Last takeaway—a lesson to be learned for every visitor: always respect local identity. Never say 'you are from Holland' to someone from Groningen!
- FRANK CUYPERS
Learn more about the Westerkwartier Tourism Strategy here.
