Eva Nieuwkoop

Eva found the ULT Lab Amsterdam after a search on the Internet. She is temporarily living abroad and wants to graduate on how we in the Netherlands/Amsterdam work with forms of tourism that want to contribute to the neighborhood. Eva is writing a Masters thesis on “community-based tourism” – and will be looking into what residents and entrepreneurs think about setting up small-scale forms of tourism in Amsterdam Noord. She will also interact with our students and the lab team to learn more about what contribution we as ULT Lab give to Noord.

1. What is your favorite place in Amsterdam Noord and why?

My favorite place in Noord is not really one place, but I love walking along the Buiksloterdijk. The area is super green and the houses are beautiful. It’s especially nice when the sun is shining and you see the neighbors talking to each other and enjoying a beer in their front yard! You really get a sense of community there.

2. What would you like to contribute to our learning community here in Amsterdam Noord (and surrounding areas)?

I contribute to the research on Amsterdam North in a more theoretical way than the InHolland students, but I hope my research contributes to future research and projects on community-based initiatives. Generally, most research on this topic is conducted in rural areas or island destinations. I feel there is a lack of scholarly research on community-based tourism in urban areas, so I hope to draw more attention to the various opportunities for sustainable tourism outside of Amsterdam’s tourist center.

3. Complete this sentence: to me, leisure and recreation mean….

Everything! Many people who don’t study it don’t necessarily realize it, but tourism and recreation are closely linked to so many aspects of our daily lives. It is incredibly important to the economy, it is closely tied to our culture and community, and it can have a huge positive impact on our well-being and quality of life. Our world would be pretty bleak without tourism or leisure, in my opinion!