From November 1-4, IGMPR co-organized the International Garden Tourism Conference in cooperation with the Canadian Garden Council and support of – amongst others – the American Public Gardens Association and City of Victoria. Over 90 delegates from 40 gardens and 12 countries gathered in Victoria, BC to Seize the Moment. These gardens alone host already more than 17 million visitors a year and truly are a destination category on its own. We look forward to next conference in 2025.
Last October we had the pleasure to host a delegation and TV crew from Holland, Michigan. The city is famous for its Dutch heritage and of course the world’s oldest Tulip Festival, Tulip Time! We showed them the contemporary life of our family in the Netherlands, from school to sports, from shopping groceries to home cooking. Of course we had to dive into tulip history at the Hortus Botanicus and plant bulbs in the Keukenhof! We also made a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the Hague Mayor Jan van Zanen and U.S. Ambassador Shefali Razdan Duggal . The visit will be aired in different segments on ‘Where you live’ by Maranda (Wood TV, ABC West Michigan).
