The Dutch tourist board has launched a video warning tourists planning to trample the flower fields for a perfect Instagram shot that a new bulb might bite back.
‘The Netherlands are world famous for their flowers, and we welcome millions of tourists every year,’ says Prof Erik Kummeling from the National Institute for Floricultural Science and Research in the video. ‘But unfortunately, as many tourists step into the flower fields for the perfect picture, the flowers and bulbs get destroyed. We develop high-quality flower species that are stronger and more resistant to this new natural enemy: humans.’
The video – launched on April 1 – claims the Dutch have cross-bred famous Dutch flowers with the rubber tree from Brazil, known for its flexibility, the mangrove from the Philippines for extremely strong roots, Stinkhorn fungi, releasing a ‘sharp and terrible smell’ when threatened, and ‘the famous flesh-eating plant’ to create the human-proof Flores Touristia. So, it warns: ‘enjoy our flowers but keep your distance: they bite!’
We're proud to present the ultimate Dutch flower: the #FloresTouristia! See for yourself how our scientists have worked miracles and created 'the human proof tulip’ 🌷👀 pic.twitter.com/anSB8CNKAW
— Visit Netherlands (@Visit_NL) March 31, 2023
The video, admits Simone Sagi of Holland Marketing, is an April fool’s joke but one with a serious message. ‘It’s to shine a light on responsible and sustainable tourism,’ she said.
Read more at dutchnews.nl