Starting today, Dopper will inspire international passengers at Schiphol to drink tap water – both at home and on their trip. Over the next two weeks, the many nationalities who pass through Jan Dellaertplein outside Schiphol Plaza on a daily basis will be connected by the power of drinking water in ‘The Water Gate experience’, a splendid world of water-related awareness and facts. At this special destination, international visitors will be encouraged to choose water from the tap, a positive change in behaviour which will easily save 40 disposable bottles per person per year. Few tourists are as yet aware of this fact.
Published on: 2 May 2019
It is striking that 60%* of international passengers visiting the Netherlands would rather drink bottled water than tap water. Why? They do not trust it because it does not taste of chlorine, even though this fact actually indicates the high quality of drinking water. However, it is not only the Netherlands that is lucky enough to have delicious, clean drinking water. In 181 countries all over the world, there is access to safe drinking water from the tap in at least three quarters of the country**.
'Dopper is constantly striving to increase access to clean and safe drinking water around the globe. As Schiphol has 71 million passengers a year and is therefore a gateway to the world, it is the perfect place to create a link between sustainable travel and tap water in the minds of a large audience. The Water Gate will offer them an integral experience, which is packed with inspiration and education. We also welcome tourists with a deliciously refreshing welcome drink: Dutch tap water', says Dopper founder Merijn Everaarts.
'Through our partnership with Dopper, we want to draw our international passengers’ attention – in a unique way – to the fact that clean drinking water is available straight from the tap here in the Netherlands. At the airport, Schiphol Plaza is the ideal spot for effectively communicating this message to arriving international passengers', says Tanja Dik, director of Consumer Products & Services at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Around 90 public water taps are available around Schiphol, including a special one donated by Dopper – the O initiative on Plaza. The solution is as clear as the message: choose tap water at home and when travelling. This change in individual behaviour will help passengers to protect the oceans from single-use plastic water bottles.
*Source: PWN study, 2016 **Source: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2019