Tourism to Netherlands busier year-round, hotel figures show

Tourism in the Netherlands is less and less dependent on the season, largely thanks to hotel accommodation, Statistics Netherlands reported on Friday. Seasonal fluctuation at Dutch hotels is disappearing, with the number of overnights being nearly the same all year round.

Last year the three busiest months for Dutch accommodations - hotels, campsites, bungalow parks and group accommodations - were May, July and August. These three months accounted for 38.5 percent of all overnight stays in the Netherlands last year. Twenty years ago, the three busiest months - then June, July and August - accounted for 46 percent of all overnight stays. This decrease in seasonal fluctuation is mainly due to the sharp increase in nights spent in hotels, the stats office said.

Generally the most tourists visit the Netherlands in the second and third quarters of they year, with the first quarter having the lowest number of overnight stays. Last year 15 percent of total overnight stays took place in the first quarter, and 19 percent during the fourth quarter. The second and third quarter together accounted for 66 percent of overnight stays.

Hotels are least dependent on the season, booking the most guests throughout the year compared to campsites, bungalow parks and group accommodations. Campsites generally only do business in the second and third quarter, from April to September, and are often closed during the winter period. Of all overnight stays at campsites, 93 percent fell in the period April to September last year. For bungalow parks it was 62 percent. And for hotels it was 57 percent, showing that hotel stays are almost equally popular year round.

In the first quarter of 2019, there were a total of 18.3 million overnight stays at Dutch accommodations, an increase of 46 percent compared to the same quarter in 2012. The total number of overnight stays last year was 116.1 million, an increase of 25 percent compared to 2012.