Flower lovers and influencers flock to the tulip vistas at an iconic Dutch park

LISSE, Netherlands (AP) — Nestled among tulip fields not far from Amsterdam, the world-famous Keukenhof garden has opened for the spring, welcoming camera-wielding visitors to its increasingly selfie-friendly grounds.

On a sunny day, the paths, park benches and cafes are crowded with tourists taking photos and selfies with one of the Netherlands’ most iconic products — the tulip. Those kinds of pics, posted on social media, are what drew Austrian lawyer Daniel Magnus.

“Whenever you see the kind of pictures which were taken from an influencer, they make something with you. You get a new impression of new locations, traditions, people and so on …. You want also to be there,” Magnus told The Associated Press.

Magnus had just finished taking his own photos on a small boat, staged in one of the park’s canals for visitors to take their own Instagrammable images.

Staff plant and nurture a staggering 7 million flower bulbs to ensure visitors who flock to the Keukenhof from around the world all get to see a vibrant spectacle during the just eight weeks the garden is open.

In recent years, the garden has increasingly catered to the public’s thirst for social media content and created spaces where guests are encouraged to pose.

Selfie spots include flower archways, pink velvet couches and another Dutch classic - oversized wooden clogs.

The Keukenhof’s own social media channels have some suggestions about the best locations and the Dutch tourism board even advises on how to get the perfect tulip selfie.

“Make your image come alive and place the subject of your photo slightly off-centre. This will make your photo look more dynamic,” the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions says.

The Keukenhof garden’s more than 1 million expected visitors don’t need too much encouragement to snap pics among the tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and myriad other flowers. The blossoms are meticulously handplanted throughout its manicured lawns by a small army of gardeners.

“There’s always something blooming. I think that’s the reason why everyone is happy. There’s also always something to see,” gardener Patrick van Dijk told the AP.

Not everyone is always happy with tourists taking photos. Some flower farmers have put up signs and barriers to deter aspiring influencers from trampling tulips in nearby fields.

Tulip fields have started becoming a popular draw elsewhere in Europe. Dutchman Edwin Koeman, who comes from a family of tulip bulb traders, started growing the flowers after moving to an area north of Milan with his family.

“The land here is good. It’s more the climate which is very different to Holland,” Koeman said in an interview on his field in the small Italian town of Arese. “Here, the winter is a bit shorter, we have more sunshine. But for our work, it’s good because it rains just enough in the winter and in the spring. And now in the spring, most of the time it’s sunny, so people like to come to our field.”

Last year, his field had a record of 50,000 visitors, many enjoying the chance to pick tulips themselves to fill their baskets. They’ve started arriving this year and, on April 1, Viola Guidi was among those picking through Koeman’s field.

“Every year I come here together with my friends, even several times,” she said. “Usually we have to hurry, because the best flowers are all picked within a few weeks. We managed to come close to the opening, a week later. This time it worked out really well for me. It’s beautiful.”

Italy grows 43 million tulips, exporting almost one-third of them, according to Nada Forbici, national coordinator of the Coldiretti floriculture council. Exports are aimed mainly at northern Europe, especially Netherlands, she said.

Novaga reported from Arese, Italy.

Farmers use acrylic cloth for insulation to grow tulips earlier in the season, near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Farmers use acrylic cloth for insulation to grow tulips earlier in the season near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The mail man passes flower fields in bloom on his daily round, near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

People visit flower fields in bloom near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

People work in the flower fields near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Farmers use acrylic cloth for insulation to grow tulips earlier in the season, near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Farmers use acrylic cloth for insulation to grow tulips earlier in the season, near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

People visit flower fields in bloom near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Farmers use acrylic cloth for insulation to grow tulips earlier in the season near Lisse, Netherlands, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

A woman poses for a picture at the Keukenhof flower garden in Lisse, Netherlands, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Molly Quell)

An employee plants tulips at the Keukenhof flower garden in Lisse, Netherlands, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Molly Quell)

Tourists visit the Keukenhof flower garden in Lisse, Netherlands, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Molly Quell)

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil will prioritize trade negotiations with the United States to address the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump as it is continues to expand commercial agreements with other countries as a way to offset the impact, a top foreign trade official said Thursday.

“The guidance from the minister and Vice President (Geraldo Alckmin) is to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate,” Foreign Trade Secretary Tatiana Prazeres said at an online event hosted by the Brazil-China Business Council. “We have an open dialogue with U.S. authorities."

Brazilian imports to the United States have faced a 10% tariff since last week. Steel, one of Brazil’s key exports to the U.S., has been subject to a 25% tariff since March.

The United States is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner, behind China. In 2024, the U.S. trade surplus with Brazil reached $28.6 billion in goods and services.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said publicly that Brazil doesn’t rule out retaliation but remains committed to dialogue with the U.S.

Brazilian officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Development have held meetings with the Trump administration for over five weeks, according to a top official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Talks began after the U.S. imposed the 25% tariff on Brazilian steel. Brazil has argued that it is a key supplier of semi-finished steel to the U.S., underscoring the integrated nature of the trade: for example, the same ships that bring U.S. coal to Brazil return carrying semi-finished steel, critical to the American industry. Brazilian officials have also warned that penalizing Brazil could strengthen Asian competitors, particularly those backed by China.

When the 10% tariff was announced on April 2, Brazilian officials felt a certain relief, as they believed the weeks-long negotiations may have helped avoid a worst-case scenario of higher tariffs.

Still, the extra taxes have raised concern and uncertainty.

Brazil’s top exports to the U.S. include crude oil, aircraft, coffee, cellulose and beef. Orange juice exports are also expected to be significantly affected, as the U.S. accounts for the majority of the exports.

Prazeres said Thursday the U.S. trade war could bring some opportunities. “In the past, during the first version of the trade war, we saw an increase in Brazil’s soybean exports to China. But that’s not the scenario we hope for, because the risks are very significant,” she said.

Brazilian authorities are also tracking the potential impact of a surge in Asian exports that are no longer reaching the U.S. market. “We are monitoring significant, atypical changes in trade flows,” Prazeres added.

While continuing talks with the U.S., Brazil is also working to expand its trade agreements with other countries and blocs. Prazeres highlighted recent deals signed between the Mercosur bloc and Singapore in 2023, and the European Union in 2024. The EU agreement has yet to be ratified by member countries in both regions.

Last week, VP Alckmin said the trade tensions triggered by Trump’s tariffs could help accelerate the conclusion of the Mercosur–European Union agreement.

A worker organizes fabric at a textile manufacturer in Sao Paulo, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)