Most Dutch plan on a domestic vacation this year

The pandemic resulted in many Dutch people planning their holidays closer to home this year. According to the travelling agency Zoover, a third of all vacationers is planning a holiday within the country’s borders.

The most popular Dutch destinations are beach cities, such as Limburg, Overijssel, Gelderland and Zeeland that attract people with their sunny dunes.

Flying does not seem to be a popular option this year. “Air travel is still lagging behind, due to the high risk of cancellation”, says director of Zoover, Judith Eyck. Instead, most travel-goers choose the car as their preferred mode of transportation.

Besides their home country, many Dutch are also casting an eye towards France and Italy for their summer holiday - destinations that can be reached by car. Austria remains a popular destination as well, mostly due to the opportunity for winter sporting.

Many are more cautious in booking flight tickets to otherwise popular vacation destinations, such as Spain, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. All these countries experienced a dip in popularity since the start of the pandemic.

“Some bookings are still being made”, says Eyck “Egypt and Turkey, for example, are countries that are being considered for holidays in May, but for many the insecurity is still too high. That is why official booking numbers are still low.”