Big decrease in overnight hotel guests in the Netherlands

A drop-off of 17 percent was recorded in the number of guests staying in overnight accommodations in the first quarter of 2020 relative to the same numbers from last year, according to Statistics Netherlands. Hotels were especially hard-hit during this time according to the figures, with two-thirds fewer foreign tourists frequenting.

Foreign air tourism was particularly hard hit even before the entry ban was put in place as part of the Dutch pandemic response midway through March. According to Statistics Netherlands, 8.3 million guests frequented Dutch hotels in the first quarter of 2019. By the first quarter of 2020, that number had dropped off to 6.9 million.

All things considered, hotels were the hardest-hit among in the hospitalities industry, recording a 19 percent dip in new customers and a 26 percent decrease in foreign guests over the quarter. March, in particular, proved the rockiest month of them all, with hotels seeing a 66 percent collapse in the number of foreign visitors the month the entry ban was put in place.

In terms of overall guest numbers, where January and February saw an increase of 7 percent and 11 percent respectively, March saw a 57 percent slump.

Companies with overnight accommodations are hoping for a lift in the near future, given the fact that travel restrictions in Europe are set to ease.