Holidaymakers sticking close to home this year

About 40 percent of Netherlands residents who are going on holiday this year are not leaving the country. And among those who are crossing borders, many are sticking to neighboring or other EU countries, according to a study by the Netherlands' tourism board NBTC and Schiphol. Holidaymakers from Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom are also sticking close to home.

Schiphol and NBTC investigated the influence of the coronavirus crisis on the travel behavior of tourists from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United states and China. Three quarters of all foreign visitors to the Netherlands come from one of those countries.

Over 60 percent of respondents plan to go on vacation this year, though many will do so in their own country. Among Netherlands residents, 38 percent plan to stay in the Netherlands. In Belgium, 31 percent of vacationers said the same, in Germany 49 percent, in France 71 percent, and in the UK 40 percent. 66 percent of American holidaymakers will holiday in the United States, and 47 percent of Chinese travelers will vacation in China.

And of those who are planning to cross the border, most will stick close to home. 47 percent of Dutch, 59 percent of Belgians, 39 percent of Germans, 20 percent of French, and 42 percent of British travelers will stay within the EU.

"We notice that people are still cautious in their travel behavior and prefer to stay close to home during their holidays," Jos Vranken of NBTC said. A visit to a neighboring country is seen as a safe option, according to him. The Netherlands tourism industry can benefit from that view.