TRAVEL NEWS – July 10, 2023: One in four Dutch people who normally go on holiday in the summer, will stay at home this summer. They think holidays are too expensive at the moment. Moreover, almost half of the Dutch people who do go on holiday indicate that the increased monthly costs do indeed influence their holiday plans. That appears from a panel study by comparison site Slimster.nl, carried out by fieldwork agency Panel Inzicht.
The panel study
Of the 2000 Dutch people surveyed by Slimster, 1399 (70%) indicated that they usually go on holiday during the summer holidays. However, 353 of them (18% of the total, 25% of everyone who would normally go on holiday) will stay at home this year. More than half of those staying at home (52%) have an explicit financial reason for this: high fixed costs, uncertainty about their income or the fact that they find holidays too expensive. One in six also indicate that they would rather spend the money they would normally spend on holidays this year on making their home more sustainable. A fifth will go on holiday later this year, which may also implicitly have a financial background: holidays are a lot cheaper outside the high season. Only one in ten respondents cite another, non-financial reason.
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Drenth in particular see holidays go up in smoke
Slimster's research clearly shows which part of the Netherlands is hardest hit by the increased cost of living. These are mainly Drenthe and Groningen, where energy bills are often high and incomes are relatively low. No fewer than 35% of the Drenthe surveyed who normally go on summer holidays, do not do so this year. In Groningen it is 30%, while inflation also has a major influence on holiday plans in South and North Holland. Residents of Flevoland experience the least nuisance: 'only' 12% skip the holiday this year. In Limburg and Zeeland it is also less than 20%.
It is also striking that it is mainly people in their twenties and thirties who are forced to miss their holidays this year. More than one in three Dutch people in these age categories who would normally go on holiday, will not do so this year. This is slightly less than one in five among people in their forties and fifties and almost one in seven among people in their sixties. According to Pascal van de Beek of Slimster, this shows that the younger age groups in particular are affected by inflation. They often have less of a buffer and are therefore unable to go on holiday this year.
Vacationers are also adjusting plans
Although many holiday plans fall apart completely, those who do go out are also affected by inflation. For example, more than one in six holidaymakers say they will be going on holiday for a shorter period of time this year. The same number of people are staying closer to home this year to save costs and more than one in five say they have booked a 'less luxurious' holiday. For just over half (54%) of holidaymakers, the increased costs have no impact on their plans.
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Uit Previous research van Slimster already showed at the end of May that no less than six out of ten Dutch people will not spend their holiday money on a holiday this year. Most of them put it in a savings account, while making the home more sustainable was also regularly mentioned as a spending goal.
