Welcoming around 10 million international tourists every year, the Netherlands is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations. These overseas arrivals inject around US$12 billion into the country’s economy through direct sales. Domestic tourism also plays an important role in the country’s tourism industry, with many Dutch citizens making multiple trips, and more than 18 million arrivals recorded in 2009 and 2010.

For visitors from overseas, the country’s biggest drawcard is Amsterdam, which alone records around 3.7 million international arrivals to its hotels annually. As such it is one of the most popular city-break destinations in Europe and it looks set to retain this strong position in the future. Amsterdam is also a high flyer in the arena of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism, with the International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA) consistently ranking it in the top ten destinations in the world when it comes to hosting international conventions.