De badgast de baas

Year after year, the West Frisian Island of Terschelling is overrun by hundreds of thousands of tourists, the so-called badgasten (seaside visitors). As a result of staggered holidays and a popular theatre festival, Oerol, the tourist season has been stretched ever further. Many of the less than 5000 islanders profit, but they realise that tourism brings advantages and disadvantages. Real-estate prices have increased over the last decades, and there is an alarming housing shortage among the Terschelling people. A young couple lives in their parents’ converted garage, a space that offers little less comfort. The growing number of holiday homes and camping sites constitutes a threat to nature. Many islanders realise that, if these developments continue, the island may kill itself. After all, many tourists come to the island for the tranquillity of a sunny hollow in the dunes or an untouched beach. In DE BADGAST DE BAAS, developed during the scenario workshop 2001, Hetty van Oordt provides a portrait of how the island’s inhabitants try to maintain a balance between commerce and authenticity.