Travel prices to U.S. falling as demand declines
The prices for holidays in and plane tickets to the United States have dropped considerably in recent months. The demand is declining, so prices are falling, travel companies including KLM, CheapTickets.nl, D-reizen, and Prijsvrij told BNR.
Package holidays to the U.S. were, on average, 18 percent cheaper at D-reizen and Prijsvrij between April 1 and May 25 than a year earlier. Booking platform CheapTickets reports that plane tickets are now 9 percent cheaper than last year around this time. The sale of airline tickets from the Netherlands to the U.S. is 38 percent lower, CheapTickets said. KLM has lowered the prices for economy class tickets “to absorb the slightly declining demand,” a spokesperson told the broadcaster.
The political and social unrest under president Donald Trump plays a big role in the declining demand for travel to the U.S. Trump’s migration policy and increasing reports of intimidating customs checks are making people hesitant to visit. The Dutch government also warned the LGBTQIA+ community of extra risks when applying for a visa to the U.S., because the country now only recognizes two genders.
“If there is a lot of negative news, it is logical that demand and subsequently the price respond to that,” Khalid Kasem of the Prijsvrij D-reizen Groep told BNR. “But demand is not only determined by negative reporting. High costs at the holiday destination can also play a role, for example.”
“Airline tickets and taxes make up about 55 percent of the travel sum and are settled in euros. The dollar is falling, but that has no effect here,” Elske Doets of travel agency Doets Reizen told the broadcaster. “Hotels, car rental, campers, and excursions are settled in dollars, and, due to the current exchange rate, these services can be 5 to 7 percent cheaper. This decline will mainly affect reservations for 2026.”
Another factor is that Americans are currently traveling more to Southern Europe than Northern Europe, which could be a contributing factor to the decline in tickets sold from the Netherlands to the U.S.
