27 April 2006

AMSTERDAM — Amsterdam-based expats have launched a new website to showcase the cultural offers of both the Dutch and US capitals.

"Washingtonamsterdam.com brings together two of the most influential art centres of the world, Washington and Amsterdam," US expat Sean Valerio said on Thursday. The site is in both English and Dutch to cater for a wide variety of readers.

Valerio is the Director of International Sales and New Business Development for The Tube, the organisation that launched newyorkamsterdam.com last year. Building on the database developed for that project, Valerio and Creative Director Bruno Servaege have created the new website to map out the "culture, travel, museum, and arts services" available in Washington, and the Dutch capital.

The site currently details 60 museums in Washington and 33 Amsterdam museums, including the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution.

It includes detailed information on each museum exhibit and a timely calendar of events for people travelling to Washington or Amsterdam. "The Eat.Shop.Sleep feature showcases the new and cool places to visit in between touring the museum exhibitions," Valerio said.

The Washington site is intended to joins together with other initiatives of The Tube such as newyorkamsterdam.com and further emphasises "the central role of cultural tourism in the Netherlands and US".

"After newyorkamsterdam.com we saw Amsterdam and Washington as a logical next step to creating a site for people that enjoy the arts and cultures of the cities, without feeling they where being sold something," Servaege said.

Asked about future plans, Valerio and Servaege said the Tube will be adding cities such as Baghdad and Tokyo to its range of city-based cultural products.

More information: washingtonamsterdam.com

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Dutch news