“Whether booking a trip within Holland or to another country, the majority of Dutch travellers (over 70%) do so online. According to Internet World Stats, a website that measures Internet users around the globe, the Netherlands is the most ‘wired’ nation in the EU, with 92.9% of the population having access to the World Wide Web.”
In 2013, the Netherlands welcomed 12.7 million foreign tourists – 1 million more than in 2012. The NBTC attributes the increase to a number of reasons – a marketing campaign promoting ‘Brand Holland’, a warmer than average summer, the reopening of the Rijksmusem (it had been undergoing renovations for a decade) and the celebrations surrounding the coronation of King Willem-Alexander.
In addition, Holland’s principal source markets are its fellow EU members (Germany, the UK, Belgium etc) and arrivals from those countries recovered (albeit modestly) from the financial downturn of 2007-09. Tourists from Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs), however, were responsible for the biggest jump in foreign arrivals. The number of tourists from the BRIC countries rose from 348,000 in 2008, to 615,000 in 2013. Despite those optimistic figures, revenues from international tourists have been fairly flat. WTTC data show that since 2011, international tourism spending has lingered around US$20 billion annually.
Domestic tourism spending has also shown little variation from year to year. In 2013, domestic tourists spent US$18 billion within their own country – the same as in 2012. In today’s uncertain financial climate, European travellers are still watching their pennies, taking shorter trips or cutting back on travel expenses.
The Dutch are known to be particularly frugal but they are avid travellers. According to the NBTC, in 2013, they took a total of 35.6 million trips – at home and overseas. They certainly have enough time to go exploring. Citizens who are in the workforce are entitled to a generous amount of annual paid leave (31 days on average). Moreover, employers award them an annual payment known as ‘holiday money’ (amounting to 8% of their gross salary) to help them pay for taking a break.
The majority of domestic travellers explore the country by car, as do tourists from neighbouring nations such as Germany and Belgium. Holland’s excellent road network and compact size make it easy to get around.
Tourists from further afield arrive by air and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol remains the fourth-busiest airport in Europe (after London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle). In 2013, Schiphol handled 52.6 million passengers (inbound and outbound) – 1.7 million more than in 2012 (Schiphol Group data).
Thanks to its status as a major trading nation, the Netherlands is a leading meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) venue. In 2012 – a year in which it hosted 315 events, the ICCA ranked Holland as number nine among the top ten list of destinations for international meetings, conventions and trade fairs.
Due to its flat terrain, the Netherlands is also a prime venue for cycling holidays. The country has 32,000km of bike trails and in 2014, the NBTC’s marketing efforts are being directed towards promoting Holland as the best destination for cycling in the world. To that end, 2014 has been declared as the ‘Fietsjaar’ (roughly translated as ‘The Year of the Bike’).
This report looks at the following areas:
Why do 53% of international arrivals originate in only three countries?
Which countries account for the fastest-growing inbound markets and why?
Why is Amsterdam such a popular short-break destination?
What is the NBTC doing to counter cuts in its marketing budget?
How is Holland’s tourism industry facing the challenges of the future, such as a sluggish Eurozone economy and changing demographics?
