Huge hailstones and forest fires: dramatic start to summer holidays for North Hollanders

Many photos and videos of North Holland holidaymakers who were affected by the storm in Italy last night appear on Twitter and Facebook. It shows that hailstones the size of tennis balls have caused enormous damage. The storm has caused, among other things, leaking caravans and many broken car windows.

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A holidaymaker from Purmerend informs NH that his brand new Tesla also fell victim to the storm last night. “The whole car is broken,” he says on the phone. Still, he doesn’t seem too taken aback: “We’ve been going to Lake Garda for years, and it’s always haunted here.”

Because the family from Purmerend was due to travel to Florence early this morning, they personally did not experience much of the violent thunderstorms and hailstorms. “When we woke up and wanted to leave, I saw that the entire rear window was broken. In the meantime, I covered it with a beach towel.”

The family from Purmerend has now arrived safely in Florence and has an emergency solution for the broken windows. In addition to the Purmerender, traditionally many Volendammers also go to Lake Garda. “Some things are leaving this weekend,” says Mariska Tuijp, who has her own travel agency.

Spain or France

Most people from Volendam drive to Italy around the construction holiday. “I just called a campsite,” says Mariska. “Fortunately, it was recorded. They are still assessing the damage.” It is not yet clear whether people can go to their booked place this weekend.

Rebooking a holiday in the same region is virtually impossible. “I had already noticed a few months ago that there are no accommodations available.” According to Mariska, there is a good chance that if the holiday cannot go ahead, an alternative to Spain or France will be offered. Mariska: “As soon as there is clarity, I will start looking immediately. At night if necessary.”

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Mariska not only continues to work because of the severe weather in Italy, the forest fires in Corfu and Rhodes also cause a lot of uncertainty. She indicates that if people really don’t want to go to Rhodes anymore, many airlines and hotels are more lenient. “That’s very neat.”

To trust

Yet she notices that the people of Volendam themselves, as soon as it is safe, want to leave according to their original plan. “Customers trust the travel advice.” If it is necessary to rebook, it sometimes happens that travelers can no longer go on holiday. “It’s switching and waiting.” In addition, the trip almost always becomes more expensive, especially if people have used early booking discounts: “The demand for holidays is explosive.”