Tourists spent €10B last year; Amsterdam top spot

The 14 million tourists and business travelers who came to the Netherlands in 2014 spent a total of approximately 10 billion euros during their visit, economics minister Henk Kamp announced Thursday morning. Around 2.1 billion was spent on food and drinks, with another billion expended on souvenirs, clothing and other necessities. The number of visitors to the Netherlands rose by 40% from 2000 to 2014. The inflow of tourists is expected to grow up to 16 million by 2020, reports the government. Amsterdam remains the most popular Dutch destination with 5 million annual visits. Only 13% of individuals visiting Amsterdam travel to other destinations in the Netherlands afterwards. “These expenditures in our hotels, shops and restaurants present a major boost for our economy,” Minister Kamp is quoted saying. “In the coming years, the number of tourists will keep increasing, and that provides opportunities for entrepreneurs as well as 600,000 workers in the hospitality sector.” Over 85% of the visitors evaluate their stay in the Netherlands as “excellent” or “very good,” according to research by NBTC Holland Marketing. Surveyed tourists noticed particular improvements in information provision and public transport organization.