The Netherlands will stop using Holland as its nickname in the new year as part of a US$220,000 rebranding campaign.

The country’s government is looking to update its international image ahead of the 2020 Olympics and the Eurovision Song Contest, which the Netherlands will host.

The name Holland only refers to two of the country’s 12 provinces, North Holland, where Amsterdam is located, and South Holland, the home of Rotterdam and The Hague. However, the nickname is often used to describe the entire country, officially called the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The government is spending US$220,000 and, come January, companies, embassies, ministries and universities will only refer to the country using its official name.

It is reportedly part of a plan to draw tourists to other parts of the country as some cities battle overtourism.

“It is a little strange to promote only a small part of the Netherlands abroad, that is, only Holland,” a spokesperson for the foreign ministry told the Spanish international news agency EFE.

Earlier this year, the government revealed a new logo for the country so it can be “recognized internationally,” according to a press release.

The logo combines the initials “NL” with an orange tulip, the Netherlands’ national flower. The Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions previously used the symbol of a tulip and the word Holland.

The tourism industry started promoting the nation using the nickname 25 years ago but now wants to present the commerce, science and politics of the whole country.

Minister for Foreign Trade Sigrid Kaag said the new style would help show what the Netherlands has to offer visitors, whether they come to live, work or for holiday.

She added that it could be used in different industries “from high tech to agri-food and from sport to culture.”

The tourism board will also close its offices in Spain, Italy and Japan in the spring of 2020 in favor of countries that send larger numbers of recurring visitors, tourists and business travelers.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【重塑形象】chòngsù xíngxiàng rebrand to change the image of a company or an organization

【反复出现】fǎnfù chūxiàn recurring if something recurs, it happens more than once

自2020年1月起，“荷兰”这一名称将被停用。这是荷兰政府耗资22万美元（约合人民币154万元）重塑国家形象计划的一部分。

荷兰政府希望在2020年奥运会及欧歌赛举办之前，通过“改名”进一步提升国际形象。下届欧歌赛将在荷兰举办。

“荷兰”这个名字仅指该国12个省中的两个省，即阿姆斯特丹所在的“北荷兰省”，以及鹿特丹和海牙所在的“南荷兰省”。 然而，这一名称却经常被用来代指整个国家。荷兰的官方全称为尼德兰王国。

自2020年1月起，荷兰国内公司、使馆、政府部门和大学只能使用其官方名称“尼德兰”来指代该国。该计划将耗资22万美元。

据报道，该计划也是为了吸引游客到荷兰其他地方旅游。荷兰一些城市正面临“过度旅游”这一难题。

荷兰外交部一位发言人曾告诉埃菲社记者说：“只把尼德兰的一小部分，即荷兰，推广到国外，这有点奇怪”。

据报道，今年早些时候，荷兰政府公布了新的国家标识，以得到“国际认可”。

新标识将“尼德兰（Netherlands）”的英文缩写NL与荷兰的国花橙色郁金香组合在一起。此前，荷兰旅游及会展委员会使用一束橙色郁金香与“Holland”字样作为宣传标志。

荷兰旅游业在25年前就开始使用这个昵称来做推广，而如今他们想要展示整个国家的商业、科学和政治。

荷兰外贸部长西格丽德·卡格表示，这种新风格将有助于展示荷兰能为前来生活、工作或度假的人们提供什么。

她补充说，它可以用于不同的行业，“从高科技到农业食品，从体育到文化”。

荷兰旅游及会展委员会将于2020年春季关闭西班牙、意大利和日本的办公室，转而关注那些能带来大量经常性访客、游客和商务旅客的国家。

(chinadaily.com.cn)