Dutch residents less likely to stay in the Netherlands for summer holidays

Fewer residents of the Netherlands will spend their holiday in another part of the country this year. The Dutch tourism office NBTC presented research this week showing a changing trend compared to recent years, when many people stayed close to home for their holidays due to the coronavirus crisis, either voluntarily or due to travel restrictions.

This year, 22 percent of Dutch holidaymakers will opt for a destination within the national borders. In the previous two years, that share was twice as large. NBTC's annual holiday analysis showed that a similar trend was visible in Germany, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.

At the same time, the Netherlands has remained as popular as ever with residents from neighboring countries Germany and Belgium, the NBTC noted. In the first quarter of this year, the largest group of tourists came from Germany, accounting for 28 percent of all international guests. "Germans are welcome guests," said Jos Vranken of NBTC. "They stay longer and at various destinations, so that more places in the Netherlands benefit from tourism, and they spend more money on average during a holiday."

The fact that holidaymakers want to cross the border is also reflected in the most popular means of transport: the airplane. About 55 percent of those surveyed were planning on traveling by air.

The notorious crowding at airports last year, particularly in Europe, have deterred fewer and fewer people. For example, three in ten respondents indicated that they will look at alternative travel options to avoid crowds at airports, compared to more than 40 percent last year.

The organization also noted that Chinese travelers are going on holiday, or want to go on holiday, more often. Of those surveyed, 88 percent said they plan to go on holiday within the next twelve months, including 37 percent who have already booked a holiday, and 51 percent have yet to book.

But just like after the coronavirus restrictions were lifted in Europe, a relatively high number of Chinese people are still opting to take a vacation close to home, the NBTC said.