The Dutch government has decided to absolutely refrain from the use of the term &ldquoHolland&rdquo to address the country. The country&rsquos official name, The Netherlands, will be used for all promotional purposes, according to the government.

In an attempt to rebrand the country&rsquos image, Holland will soon be addressed as The Netherlands. The decision has been taken with all stakeholders &ndash the government, the tourism board and the business leaders&mdash on board.

The country wants to shift the focus from the famous red light area and recreational drug use, and rebrand the country on an international stage.

According to media reports, a spokeswoman for the ministry of foreign affairs said the Netherlands needed a more uniform and coordinated national branding. She said &ldquoWe want to present the Netherlands as an open, inventive and inclusive country. We&rsquove modernised our approach.&rdquo

The official rebranding of the country will first be seen at the Eurovision song contest which will take place in Rotterdam next May. The country will also be addressed as The Netherlands during the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

The country got its colloquially famous name, Holland, from North and South Holland provinces on the Western coast of the Netherlands.