It's wonderful to be back in China a decade later with our signature Dutch camping collection. In 2014, we stood on stage with a microphone, explaining to a curious Chinese audience why we Dutch love camping so much. We even established a true "Holland Camping Group" to pool our knowledge.
Our story even made Dutch headlines at the time with the headline: "The Netherlands Teaches China to Camp." But we were ahead of our time—China only had 57 campsites at the time. Now, with thousands of campsites across the country, we're back!
Fast-forward to the winter of 2024, and we were actually at the world's largest trade event: the Canton Fair. This time, we didn't just promote camping; we also showcased our beautiful brands and collections.
The show wasn't just for the Chinese market - buyers usually come from all over the world and with around 240,000 business visitors it was nothing short of extraordinary.
We filled our European-inspired booth with Dutch camping gear, creating an incredible experience. On the very first day, a Chinese newspaper came by for an interview, which we conducted comfortably seated on the ground in true camping style. It was a successful trade show and a wonderful experience. We received a lot of positive feedback and business cards from representatives from 34 countries, including China ;-)
It's great to share this experience and emphasize that camping, besides stroopwafels and cheese, is also part of our Dutch cultural heritage: 'camping'.