Fewer Dutch holidaying in the Netherlands
Tourists spent 33. 7 million nights in overnight accommodation in the Netherlands in the third quarter of 2003, 1.2 percent fewer than in the same quarter in 2002. The number of guests on the other hand rose by 0.3 percent to 8.2 million.
Nights spend in accommodation by Dutch and foreign guests
Fewer Dutch, more Belgians
An important part of the 1.2 percent decrease in the overall figures was caused by the decrease in the number of nights spent by Dutch guests. This group, which spent 23.9 million nights (71 percent of the total) in the third quarter, accounted for 353 thousand or 1.5 percent fewer nights spent in Dutch accommodation.
As far as the main groups of foreigners visitors to the Netherlands are concerned, people from Britain spent 141 thousand nights fewer in the Netherlands (nearly -12 percent), while Germans spent about the same number of nights here.
Belgians were an exception, they spent 120 thousand more nights in the Netherlands than in the third quarter in 2002 (+16.7 percent).
Nights spent in the Netherlands by type of accommodation, per quarter
Fewer nights in hotels
Broken down by type of accommodation, the number of nights spent in hotels in particular lagged behind other types of overnight accommodation.
In the third quarter of 2003, the number of nights spent in hotels was 3.5 percent down on the same quarter in 2002. For recreational accommodation the number of nights spent was 0.4 percent lower. For both types of accommodation this is a slight recovery from the first quarter in 2003.
Nights spent in overnight accommodation by province
Differences per province
In North Holland, Zeeland, Friesland and Groningen together, visitors spent 0.9 million more nights in overnight accommodation (+6.5 percent).
In South Holland, Utrecht, Drenthe and North Brabant on the other hand, the number of nights fell relatively sharply. Tourists also spent fewer nights in Gelderland, Limburg and Overijssel/ Flevoland. Together, all these provinces with decreasing numbers of overnight guests resulted in a decrease of 1.3 million nights (-6.3 percent).
Vincent van Polanen Petel
Source: StatLine