Fewer foreign tourists, but lots more Dutch people had holidays at home

Integration does not mean liking cheese and clogs. Photo: DutchNews.nl
Photo: DutchNews.nl

Dutch hotels, campsites and holiday parks all reported having fewer foreign visitors in the third quarter of this year, but the number of domestic tourists soared 12%.

In total, 2.7 million foreign tourists visited the Netherlands during the summer, down 13% on last year, and less than half the pre coronavirus total, according to new figures from national statistics agency CBS.

In particular, the number of German tourists fell sharply – down 34%. This may be connected to the relatively high coronavirus figures in the Netherlands at the start of the summer, the CBS said.

By contrast, some 10 million people from the Netherlands spent a night elsewhere in the country during the summer period – due to the popularity of staycations.

Despite the rise in domestic tourism, hotels and holiday parks had 9% fewer visitors than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

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