HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Holland’s Mayor isn’t so quick to condemn those who have ignored his pleas of staying away from the Tulip City right now.
In an effort to cut down on the 300,000 to 500,000 who normally flock to see the tulips annually, Nathan Bocks created a video message last week asking visitors to not come here this year because of COVID 19 restrictions that led to the cancellation of the Tulip Time Festival. A good number of people have arrived, though, with a lot of out of state license plates seen, and Bocks was realistic about that.
“Not necessarily all of those out-of-state license plates are people who have actually traveled here from out of state,” he said on “WHTC Talk of the Town” during a Friday appearance. “We know that there are people who are snowbirds and who keep their cars registered in other states that come here.
“Overall, we have been pretty happy about how the numbers have stayed down this year, and we’ve actually think we’ve seen an increase in the number of locals that are going to places such as Windmill Island Gardens and Window on the Waterfront.”
Bocks added that there are more cyclists at those two attractions this year, with families being able to look at the tulips “without the normal crowds that are there, and we actually encourage that.”
