The dreaded crowds with Germans in border towns such as Enschede, Winterswijk, Venlo and Roermond are not too bad for the time being. This is evident from a tour of the ANP along spokespersons of these cities.
Germany has issued negative travel advice for almost all of the Netherlands. Despite this advice, border towns today expected many day trippers from Germany. But it is fairly quiet in most border towns.
All provinces, except Zeeland and Limburg, are designated as risk area. This means that non-essential travel to the ‘red’ provinces is discouraged and anyone who has been in those provinces in the past two weeks is required to undergo a corona test upon return.
No lines and traffic congestion
The Germans celebrate today that the former communist German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany became one thirty years ago. Traditionally, countless German bargain hunters cross the border on 3 October to go shopping in cities such as Roermond, Venlo, Winterswijk and Enschede.
Measures were taken in Roermond. For example, Germans who enter Limburg via the N280 see signs with texts such as ‘turn around’. If it does get too busy, Roermond threatens to take traffic measures that can lead to long traffic jams in order to discourage Germans.
According to a spokesperson for the municipality, there is no increasing visitor numbers in Roermond, there are no queues at the Designer Outlet and no traffic congestion. He thinks this is due to the image in German media. “That image is that the whole of the Netherlands is a red area. That certainly plays a role.”
The crowds in Venlo are not too bad. “At the moment it is still quiet in the streets of Venlo”, says a reporter 1Limburg.
“What could go wrong?”
At the market in Enschede this morning went according to plan RTV East lots of Germans around. “Negative travel advice for the Netherlands? No idea, I don’t watch TV”, says Markus from Dortmund. “Corona is everywhere, I think it’s safe here.”
Earlier this week, mayor Van Veldhuizen of Enschede called on Germans not to come to Enschede. Market trader Peter van Mook notices that despite the discouragement, the eastern neighbors continue to visit Enschede. “Until now I have only had German customers,” he says.
He does not understand that mayor Van Veldhuizen called on Germans to stay away. “Better not comment. It’s buying in the open air, what can go wrong?”
According to the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, there will be no Marechaussee at the borders this weekend. That was the case several times in the spring. The Marechaussee stopped Germans at the border in April and May and tried to talk them out of coming to the Netherlands because of the danger of corona infections. Many Germans took no notice of this advice and drove on.
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