More Britons, French, Belgians and Germans: The Netherlands experienced a record-breaking summer for tourism

The Netherlands experienced a record-breaking summer for tourism despite concerns that an increase in VAT on hotels and holiday parks would deter international visitors. According to the national statistics bureau, CBS, hotels hosted 1.715 million foreign guests in July, representing a 5 percent increase from the previous year. Germans remained the largest group of international visitors, with their numbers rising by nearly 9 percent. Furthermore, there was significant growth in tourist numbers from Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom.

Domestic tourism also surged, as more Dutch residents chose to spend their holidays within the country. Holiday parks saw a marked increase in demand, with total overnight stays rising to 6.5 million in July. While travelers from North America and Asia showed a preference for Amsterdam and the Randstad region, European tourists increasingly explored provinces outside this area, such as Gelderland, Zeeland, Friesland, and Groningen. Although industry organization Hiswa-Recron cautioned that higher visitor numbers do not necessarily equate to higher profits due to rising operational costs, the summer period proved to be exceptionally busy for the Dutch recreation sector.