Southern Europe becomes most popular vacation destination for Dutch people this year

Sun, sea, and beach remain popular factors for many Dutch people's upcoming summer vacation. A tour of major travel organizations shows that Southern Europe is popular as a vacation destination this year. At the same time, active vacations in more northern countries are on the rise, according to some travel industry companies.

"Many people are going on vacation for the sun and the Mediterranean atmosphere," said a spokesperson for travel organization TUI, which has seen particularly good sales of air travel to Spain, Greece, and Turkey this year. For car trips, Denmark tops the list, followed by Lake Garda in Italy.

At the Sunweb Group, which in addition to Sunweb also includes the brands Eliza was here, GOGO and Primavera, Greek and Spanish islands, as well as Turkey, are in demand. Furthermore, Corendon also sees that the number of bookings to Southern Europe is doing well. A spokesperson revealed that cruises are also growing in popularity, not only to the Mediterranean but also to the Norwegian fjords, England as well as Scotland.

According to ANWB, the travel market in Europe is "on the move" in this regard. In April, a representative member survey conducted by the association revealed that almost one-third of Dutch vacationers are opting for a vacation in southern Europe this year. At the same time, ANWB's online pages on Northern Europe are being visited more often than before, said a spokesperson. "Scandinavia has become a mainstream summer vacation destination.

Travel agencies specializing in Northwest Europe and Scandinavia reported that the demand for vacations in the region is increasing. Buro Scanbrit, for example, is seeing "a nice increase" in bookings this summer compared to last year. Roundtrips to Norway and Denmark are particularly in demand. In addition, trips to Scotland and Ireland are also much more popular than a year ago, a spokesperson claimed.

Fellow industry member Nordic also recognized the increased demand. And where previously mainly families and seniors sought peace and space in the north, there are now also more teenagers, said director Hugo van Drie. "We're seeing a younger demographic that would rather do a sporty hike in the mountains than have a good time in a bar on the Spanish coast."

According to Nordic, more people seem to need an "adventure vacation." Sunweb Group agrees. "More Sunweb customers are choosing the Alps in the summer than a few years ago. This goes hand in hand with a rising trend and popularity of more active vacations."