Many not vacationing abroad for fear of Covid travel hassle

Fear of coronavirus-related hassle while traveling is keeping many Netherlands residents in their own country for the summer holidays. Only 40 percent of the population booked a trip abroad in the past year, compared to 65 percent in pre-pandemic 2019, the Volkskrant reports based on figures from travel agencies.

Frank Oostdam, chairman of travel agencies' industry organization ANVR, blames the lack of bookings on the ever-changing coronavirus measures. Every country has different measures that apply and conditions for entry. Italy requires tourists to be fully vaccinated, to present a negative PCR test, or to have recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months, for example. While France is satisfied with a negative rapid antigen test taken 72 hours before arrival.

"Consumers have to deal with a kind of information jungle," Oostdam said to the newspaper. Petra Kok of TUI confirmed this. "We see great hesitation to book due to the entry conditions of various countries," she said. Corendon spokesperson Simone van den Berk: "People are waiting, for fear of 'hassle' during the holidays."

All this made staying in the Netherlands for vacation a more attractive option. "Since the corona crisis, the number of domestic holidays has increased," Jeanette ten Kate-Winter of Landal Greenparks said to the newspaper. "Even now that people can go abroad, they continue to book for domestic holidays. A large part of the accommodations for the summer were fully booked early and there is still a large last-minute demand."