After two corona summers, more than three quarters of the Dutch go on holiday. Striking: the Dutch still like to go on holiday in their own country. A trend that started during the pandemic is now continuing. Rising inflation also plays a role; lack of money is even a reason for part of the population to stay at home.
Those who cross the borders often take the plane, the most popular means of transport for the Dutch traveler, despite the long queues and delays at Schiphol. According to the Netherlands Bureau for Tourism & Congresses (NBTC) 46 percent go by plane. In July 2021, that was still 43 percent. Young holidaymakers in particular travel much more by plane than by car. Alternatives because of the crowds at Schiphol are other airports or other transport.
Read about it here the favorite holiday transport of the Dutch
In the Netherlands, 6 percent of travelers choose the train for a holiday in Europe, often as a climate-friendly alternative. Despite the popularity of the more well-known means of transport, there is increasing enthusiasm for traveling by train. Petra de Kok, spokesperson for TUI, explains that the train is particularly popular for city trips. “In collaboration with GreenCityTrip, we have train journeys to six European cities and they are becoming increasingly popular.”
But for the Dutch traveler, the summer holiday is mainly about looking for the sun. “Holidays to destinations such as Spain, Greece and Turkey are the most booked. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao have also been very popular since corona,” says the spokesperson. “Since mid-January, there have been fewer corona restrictions in both the Netherlands and abroad. Since then, many people have started booking flights.” This is before Schiphol got so many problems, says the spokesperson. “Flying from this airport is simply the cheapest and most efficient way for many people to travel to Crete, Mallorca or the Canary Islands.”
TRAIN PASSENGER – ‘If you book your ticket on time, it is easy to pay’
Maxim Luttmer (53), travels by train with his wife Annamaria (49) and their two teenage daughters, from Utrecht station. “As a family, we travel by train to a destination in Europe almost every summer. We find train travel more comfortable and less stressful than the plane. Half of this trip will be done by train, the other half by rental car. The car gives me stress, but the combination is doable. Climate change is a very important reason for us to take the train. I am a climate and energy consultant for the business community. NS happens to be one of my clients. We don’t own a car – also for practical reasons. We used to have one, but we found out that we can do without it. We live in the middle of the city, we can do everything by bike. Sometimes we use a shared car.
“From Utrecht we travel to Munich, from there we take the car to Northern Italy. Later we drive back to Munich to continue our journey to Budapest by train. Annamaria is Hungarian, that’s why we’re going that way. But if we want to visit Hungary in the winter, we take the plane. For us, a long train journey does not pay off for a week’s holiday in the winter. Flying is too cheap, it must be the other way around. If you book the train ticket on time, it is easy to pay. We also keep it fun by switching over for some rest. The connections could be a bit better, especially in Germany. Once a train went directly to Munich, not anymore. But if you plan well, the train remains a nicer and more conscious way of traveling.”
AIRCRAFT PASSENGER – ‘The vehicle must be worth the trip’
André van Dalsem (61) and his son François van Dalsem (28) are staring at the flight times on the board in the departure hall at Schiphol. Mother waits a little further with the luggage. Their flight is not yet on the board. It is half past ten in the morning and the family from Amersfoort will fly to the Philippines in five hours, to visit relatives. André met his wife there 30 years ago. Together they got François. Now a cousin is getting married there: “Another reason to brave the long lines at Schiphol”, says André. Some family members have not seen them for five or six years, longer than usual due to the pandemic. “We prefer to take the car or train when we travel,” says Van Dalsem. Not necessarily because of the climate, but “just a lot less hassle”. Normally the family does not go on the most standard holidays: “To Sweden or Hungary, for example. It has to be a little adventurous.”
The climate crisis will not play a role in travel behavior on a large scale for the time being, André thinks. “I finish my considerations via a top three, and I think it works that way for many other travelers too.” One is the financial picture: people must be able to afford it. On two: the time. Someone who goes to Portugal for a weekend will not spend more than a day on, for example, a train trip. “The vehicle must be worth the journey.” Then he looks at comfort: “The train is much better and you don’t have to stand in long queues.” Climate can also play a role here, but this is probably the last thing for many people. “As long as the trains take a lot of time and are expensive, it is not yet a good alternative for many.”
AUTOMOTIVE – ‘Show your children a different environment every now and then’
Heleen and Mark van der Meij prefer to travel by car. They are on their way to France with their son, daughter, dog and Volvo and stop at Hazeldonk, along the highway on the border with Flanders.
In one day they will arrive in the Dordogne for a week at the campsite and then they will move to a house of his parents in the Morvan. They rarely fly; not only is a long-haul flight more harmful to the environment than the car, but you really don’t have to go to a distant island to have a nice holiday. They have stayed in the Netherlands for the past six years. Heleen van der Meij: “We don’t need to go far because other people have already done that and we haven’t yet.” Now they go anyway. Mark van der Meij: „The foreign countries are attracting. Another language. Other food. Hills and mountains. And you want to show your children a different environment every now and then.” Heleen van der Meij: “A different culture. Beautiful villages.” They take climate change into account throughout the year, says Heleen van der Meij, and they do their bit. “Don’t buy everything new, but browse the thrift shops. And why take bottled water with you if you have your own bottle on the way? Our kids don’t know any better.” They are convinced that climate change threatens the world. Mark van der Meij: “You won’t have to go south for the heat, the warmer climate will come to us.” They live in Beverwijk and sometimes think about rising sea levels. Then they think that they might one day have to exchange the west of the country for higher areas. Mark van der Meij: “I recently thought: if the dikes break, then at least we still have my parents’ house in France where we can go.”
STAY HOME – ‘Do you know what a return ticket to Morocco costs now’?
It is very hot in Morocco now, says Mohamed Driouech (68) from Rotterdam. Even warmer than at the beginning of the week in the Netherlands. “And do you know what a return ticket to Morocco costs now? A thousand euros!” So he will stay at home this summer. He likes walking and cycling. If it is too hot, he sits in front of the fan. Or he settles down on the bench on the Afrikaanderplein, Feijenoord district. It is remarkably quiet in the neighborhood. Everyone has been complaining about the “crazy prices” for tickets in recent weeks. But after almost three years of travel restrictions, people want to visit family again, says Younes Aktitou (25). He is a youth coach and organizes activities for the children in the neighborhood – usually many children stay at home. Now, he thinks, seventy percent is gone. “Their parents apparently saved.”
Abdel (Appie, 45) sits down on the couch with Driouech. When asked if he is going on vacation, he rubs his thumb against his middle finger. “You can’t go on vacation empty-handed.” It’s not just about the ticket, he says. “You should also bring presents for family.”
“Then you go to the Action,” says Driouech. The men on the bench laugh. Abdel, imperturbable: „Sure, you can bring shoes and underwear. But you also want to treat yourself there or go somewhere. Vacation is expensive.”
Mohamed Driouech nods: “The days when you could go on holiday cheaply in Morocco are over. Everything has become more expensive there. Food, petrol, hotels.”
Abdel says that he finds it difficult to make ends meet without a holiday. “I try to be as frugal as possible, but at the end of the month I fall short.”
Driouech has another tip: If you go, do it in May. Then the whole country is green, And the tickets? “You can get a return ticket for less than 100 euros!”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of July 23, 2022