Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Launch New Just be. In Holland. 10-City Bike Tour Promotion

NEW YORK, April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions (NBTC), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Schiphol) announced today the launch of the Just be. In Holland. 10-City Bike Tour. From April 13 through May 1, NBTC and KLM are searching for two of the most engaging, fun and adventurous duos in the US or Canada to bike through Holland and share their adventures with other travelers through a daily video diary.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110413/NY82591LOGO )

The 10-City Bike Tour is part of NBTC's 2011 marketing campaign, Just be. In Holland., and is unlike any other biking tour ever created.  NBTC and KLM are giving new definition to the term "house hunting" by using KLM's iconic Delft blue ceramic houses as inspiration for two specially created biking itineraries that take each winning team on an authentic tour of North or South Holland. Each day, teams will search for the real-life, historic houses represented in the famous KLM houses collection. Other special surprises await them at each destination!

"Many people don't realize that KLM's ceramic Delft blue houses, which have been given to every passenger in World Business Class on KLM since the 1950s, represent actual houses in Holland that are rich in history and Dutch culture. We're proud to partner with NBTC and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in creating this never before experienced biking tour of Holland.  We're thrilled to be using social media as a platform in this initiative, as it plays an increasingly important role in engaging consumers in the KLM travel experience," said Patrick Roux, Senior Vice President Air France and KLM for the Americas.

A passion for Holland, sense of adventure and adept cycling ability are absolute musts for any team interested in winning this extraordinary ride through Holland. To enter, teams simply need to upload an engaging audition video showing why they are the best team to share their experiences with other travelers. More information, including details on how to enter, is available through Holland or KLM_USA's Facebook pages.

Biking is one of the best ways to see and experience Holland, a country known for its flat, picturesque landscape. "On May 14—National Biking and Windmill Day in Holland—our first winning team will embark on the 10-City Bike Tour," said Conrad van Tiggelen, Director, North America for NBTC. "We have planned an incredible series of experiences for our first biking team, starting with a welcome reception at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol."

Each winning team will be sent on one of two biking trails—the North Holland or South Holland trail— and bike through five cities.  The North Holland trail team will explore Dutch cheese markets and quaint fishing villages in the towns of Edam, Enkhuizen, Alkmaar, Haarlem and Amsterdam. The South Holland trail team will have a chance to see the world's tallest windmills and Rembrandt's birthplace while traveling through Gouda, Schiedam, Delft, The Hague and Leiden.

Entries will be accepted from April 13 until May 1, 2011 and are open to US and Canadian residents only. Terms and conditions apply. For more information, please visit Holland or KLM USA's Facebook pages.

About the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions

The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions is the leading marketing organization for the promotion of leisure and business travel to and within Holland. NBTC has a worldwide network of eleven offices and two representative offices abroad, with its head office in Leidschendam, near The Hague. For more information, please visit www.holland.com/press, facebook.com/visitholland or @visitholland on Twitter.

About KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is a worldwide airline company based in the Netherlands. It comprises the core of the KLM Group, which further includes KLM Cityhopper, transavia.com and Martinair. KLM works very closely with Air France within the AIR FRANCE KLM Group, which exists since the two companies merged in 2004. The AIR FRANCE KLM Group is Europe's leading Group in the Airline business. The AIR FRANCE KLM Group operates more than 2,470 daily flights out of Paris and Amsterdam to 242 destinations in 105 countries. KLM currently operates from 9 U.S. gateways and provides service from 125 U.S. cities through joint venture partner Delta. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.klm.us , or contact your travel professional. Follow KLM U.S.A. on Twitter: @KLM_US or visit us on www.facebook.com/KLMUSA  .

About Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was Europe's fifth largest airport in passenger numbers and third in cargo volumes in 2010, welcoming 45.2 million passengers and processing 1.5 million tonnes of cargo. A total of 106 airlines offer direct flights from Schiphol to 301 destinations all over the globe. This makes Amsterdam Airport Schiphol one of the four most important Main Ports (or hubs) in Europe. It is also one of the two European home bases of Air France-KLM and the SkyTeam alliance. In addition, Schiphol is an important contributor to the regional economy, providing employment for around 60,000 people at the airport. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is part of Schiphol Group, an operator of airports in the Netherlands and abroad. It is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's ambition to be and remain Europe's preferred airport. See http://www.schiphol.nl.

SOURCE Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions