The Dutch are more likely to take an extra holiday at home
The number of holidays taken by the Dutch rose some 1% last year but the rise was due to a 3% increase in holidays at home, according to new figures from Dutch tourism research bureau NBTC-Nipo.
In total, the Dutch took 35.5 million holidays last year, of which 17.6 million were in the Netherlands. Total spending was down by 2% because home-based holidays are cheaper, the researchers said.
The research also showed 45% of holidaymakers consider the threat of terrorism to be important when making a choice about where to go. Health, crime, the political situation and risk of natural disasters are all secondary considerations.
Germany remains the most popular foreign destination, followed by France and Spain. In the Netherlands, the North Sea coast is the biggest draw.
The number of bookings for holidays in Turkey and Greece both fell by some 30% last year, due to the refugee crisis. Spain, Croatia and Sicily all rose in popularity.
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.
We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.
Make a donation