Rotterdam tourism sets new record with massive visitor influx

Rotterdam received a record number of tourists last year, the city announced based on preliminary figures on Monday. Over 1.1 million people spent over 1.8 million nights in hotels in the city, an increase of 10 percent compared to 2016, NOS reports.

The number of people visiting cultural institutions in Rotterdam increased by 12 percent last year. Some 1.2 million people visited museums in the city. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Kunsthal Rotterdam and Maritiem Museum Rotterdam were the most popular. The number of people visiting tourist attractions remained stable at 3.5 million. Blijdorp Zoo was the most popular, followed by Euromast and Spido. 

The city also did well as a business destination. Over half of the hotel guests came to Rotterdam for business. The number of conferences held in the city also increased. On average, business travelers spend more money than leisure tourists and are therefore an important target group for the city.

53 percent of hotel guests in Rotterdam came from elsewhere in the Netherlands. Of foreign visitors, most hotel guests came from Germany and the United Kingdom, each 7 percent of all tourists.