Record number of overnight stays in accommodation in the Netherlands

© Hollandse Hoogte / Manon Bruininga
A total of 49.7 million guests stayed at hotels, campsites and holiday parks in the Netherlands in 2023. That was 8.1 percent more than in the previous year and also a record: never before has the Netherlands welcomed so many guests in one year. It was mainly the number of foreign visitors that went up, rising by almost a quarter to 20.4 million and returning to the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic. The number of guests from within the Netherlands remained fairly constant. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new, provisional figures.

Of all types of accommodation, hotels welcomed the most guests in 2023, at 32.6 million. That was 11 percent more than in the previous year. Meanwhile, campsites and holiday parks saw their guest numbers increase to 5.2 million and 10.4 million, respectively – a slight increase on the previous year. Last year was the third consecutive year with an increase in guest numbers in these types of accommodation. For group accommodation, the number of guests remained roughly the same, at 1.6 million.

More visitors from abroad staying in hotels

The number of guests from abroad staying in hotels in the Netherlands increased by 2.9 million (+24.2 percent) relative to 2022. The number of guests from the Netherlands also rose, but only by 2.3 percent. In recreational accommodation (a category that comprises campsites, holiday parks and group accommodation), the number of international guests also rose in 2023, but the number of guests from the Netherlands fell.

The number of people staying on campsites went up in the year immediately after the coronavirus pandemic, mainly due to more Dutch campers. In the last two years, the number of campers from abroad has increased again, while the number of campers from the Netherlands has gone down slightly. Even so, the Netherlands’ campsites received both more domestic and more international guests in 2023 than they did before the pandemic.

Almost half of hotel guests come from abroad

The proportion of guests from abroad was the highest in hotels: 46 percent of hotel guests were from other countries. At campsites and holiday parks, that proportion was approximately one-third. Group accommodations have the lowest share of foreign guests at 9 percent.

Guests from abroad were the most likely to come from Germany (7.2 million), Belgium (2.5 million) North and South America (2.1 million) and the United Kingdom (2.0 million).

Largest increase in Noord-Holland, decline in Fryslân, Noord-Brabant and Drenthe

Most guests stayed in Noord-Holland, particularly in Amsterdam. This province also saw the largest increase in the number of overnight stays (+17 percent). The number of guests in Overijssel and Zuid-Holland also increased by over 10 percent.

In Fryslân, Noord-Brabant and Drenthe, the total number of guests declined in 2023. However, the number of guests from abroad rose in all provinces.

 

Amsterdam still the main draw for tourists

Amsterdam saw an increase in the number of guests in 2023 compared with 2022: 21 percent (9 million). The number of guests from abroad staying in accommodation in Amsterdam rose by 26 percent, while the number of guests from the Netherlands rose by 8 percent.

International visitors to Amsterdam came mainly from the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany. In Rotterdam and Utrecht, the number of visitors also increased by 19 percent, and The Hague saw an increase of 11 percent.

Sources