Many Dutch people book a holiday, even though life has become a lot more expensive. This emerges from a survey by the NOS at various travel organizations. Recent figures from the General Dutch Association of Travel Agencies (ANVR) confirm this picture. In January, more than three million Dutch people booked a trip abroad through an ANVR travel agency.
Travel agencies say that they charge higher prices due to the increased costs, but that this does not lead to fewer bookings. Corendon and Booking.com even received more bookings than ever in January. TUI also did good business.
Sunweb states that holidays are about 15 to 25 percent more expensive this year than a year ago. “That is due to increased costs such as airport taxes, fuel and personnel.”
Traditionally busy
According to TUI, many Dutch people normally book their summer holidays at the beginning of the year. “About 80 percent is booked in the period January to March.” That has changed in recent years, says the Sunweb Group. “During the corona pandemic, many Dutch people waited longer to book. Now the first months of the year are busy again as usual.”
Compared to 2022, other trips will be booked, says TUI. “Last year we saw exuberant booking behavior from people who had not been on holiday for two years. Then many expensive luxury holidays were booked and we saw a high average spending amount. That is now normalizing again, but the total travel sum still remains high due to the increased costs.”
All inclusive holidays are also more popular this year, says TUI. “In December, we conducted extensive research into consumer needs. This showed that all-inclusive holidays have become more popular. Consumers are very price-conscious and want more control over their holiday budget. With an all-inclusive holiday, you have more control over the total cost of your holiday.”
Turkey and Curacao
According to the travel industry, Turkey and Curaçao are especially popular destinations. Turkey has many large all-inclusive hotels, says TUI. This formula seems to be gaining ground in more countries.
