The Dutch travel after vaccination

Amsterdam, February 4th 2021 – A survey * by Belvilla shows that 42% of the Dutch aim for a trip during the summer vacation. Due to the current circumstances, we are looking further ahead. The vaccine plays a role here. When do we book our holiday and where do we want to go? Belvilla researched it.

Looking forward to Summer
Almost 69% of the holiday-loving Dutch indicate that they intend to travel this year. On the other hand, only 8% indicate that they have travel plans for 2022. Yet not all holidaymakers already have concrete plans for booking and are waiting for the measures. “1 in 5 Dutch people (23%) wait to travel until they have been vaccinated. Most holidaymakers are expected to travel from summer, the traditional holiday period that people look forward to. For example, we are already seeing that we have 9% more bookings for August compared to the same period last year. We understand that many people are currently thinking about traveling and want to be sure that they can book the holiday home they have in mind”, says Hanita van der Meer of Belvilla. In other European countries, Belvilla, and its sister, DanCenter, also notices that many (42%) have set their sights on a summer trip. For the period after the summer, the specialist has already seen the number of bookings by the Dutch increase: both the autumn and the Christmas holidays already have 49% and 117% more bookings compared to the same period last year.

In these times, for more than 30% of the holidaymakers, the possibility of canceling for free is the reason to book their holiday now. In addition to this option, reviews from other travelers are also highly appreciated.

Popular destination
When we travel, only a few dare to fly. More than a third prefer traveling by car within Europe. If we zoom in on the holiday destinations, the Netherlands, Germany and France are the top 3 among the Dutch. Surprisingly, neighboring Belgium does not feature in this top. The holiday in your own country remains a favorite, especially in the spring. In addition, the specialist in the field of holiday homes expects that a lot of last minute will be booked for a holiday across the border towards the summer.

Preference for holiday home
For our holidays, we choose the safety of our own bubble, that is why the holiday home remains popular both domestically and across the border. The Dutch mainly travel with close family (50%) or their partner (32%). Hanita: “In the past, holidaymakers mainly booked larger houses, but now we see a lot of demand for cozy holiday homes. The need for a social gathering is paramount. We also see that the luxury of a private swimming pool and a large garden are popular facilities. People clearly want to spend more on their vacation”.

* Survey was conducted in January 2021 by Belvilla and DanCenter among 5.426 guests in Europe, including 1.738 from the Netherlands.