More and more Dutch holidaying in Germany
Dutch holidaymakers have been increasingly travelling to Germany in recent years. Sauerland and the Eifel region are particularly popular holiday destinations. Most Dutch holidaymakers travel to Germany by car.
Germany favourite for short holidays
Some 12.6 million Dutch people went on holiday in 2009. Together they took a total of 36.4 million holidays, of which half outside the Netherlands.
Germany was the destination for 38 percent of all short holidays abroad. In 2002 this was still only 27 percent. Germany has now overtaken Belgium as the most popular destination for short holidays. France, accounting for 16 percent, is still the favourite destination for long holidays, but here too, Germany is catching up.
Top 3 foreign holiday destinations
Sauerland and Eifel most popular
Dutch holidaymakers travelling to Germany often choose a destination just across the border. Sauerland and the Eifel region are the most popular holiday areas for both long and short holidays. However, Sauerland is less popular for long than for short holidays: 22 compared with 40 percent. For long holidays, the Dutch more often travel to destinations further afield such as Bavaria and the Black Forest.
Holidays in Germany by tourist area, 2009
Most holidaymakers drive to Germany
By far most Dutch holidaymakers drive their own cars to Germany. In 2009, car travel accounted for 80 percent of short and 86 percent of long holidays. The next most popular forms of transport were coaches and train. Surprisingly, holidaymakers were more likely to travel by air for short than for long holidays: 5 versus 2 percent.
Holidays in Germany by means of transport, 2009
Not only is Germany a popular holiday destination for Dutch holidaymakers; many Germans also holiday in the Netherlands. In 2009 2.7 million German guests visited the Netherlands; that is around the same number as in the preceding years. Most German tourists stayed in the coastal resorts and the wooded areas in the south of the Netherlands.
Marian Driessen