Kees van der Spek openly calls on Dutch people to boycott holidays to the United States until Donald Trump is gone. Travel association ANVR does not expect this call to have much effect. The seasoned America lover is usually not easily stopped.
Van der Spek (61), known for, among other things Scammers abroadstates in a post on Instagram that Trump’s policies are the cause of a huge decline in tourism to the US. The presenter, who says he has been to America fifteen times, calls the effect of that policy ‘devastating’.
He quotes a taxi driver in Los Angeles, who described the president as “an 8-year-old child in a bulldozer.” The television maker therefore strongly advises to ignore the country for the time being. ‘Don’t go on holiday to the US now. Make that statement until he is gone,” said Van der Spek.
There are currently many thousands of Dutch people in the US for the World Cup. The KNVB hopes that 10,000 Dutch supporters will join the fan walk to the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on Sunday for the Dutch national team’s first group match at the World Cup against Japan. About 5,000 Dutch fans have a ticket for the match.
‘Enough laughing’
Van der Spek, that one still visits the US for work, compares the situation in the US with other countries where questionable regimes prevail. “That’s kind of like the pub where all kinds of normal people come, but where you also expect to be crazy,” he writes.
‘But this is different. This is a bit like the church you trusted and whose pastor is suddenly cursing in the pulpit.’ The presenter has now disabled the comments under his post, which has been liked more than 4,800 times. ‘Enough laughing! Comments can be turned off.’
No political organization
Everyone is free to call for a boycott, says Frank Radstake, director of travel association ANVR. At the same time, Radstake does not think this will have any impact on our travel movements.
The Dutch travel organizations, which do not engage in politics themselves, continue to offer trips to the US, Radstake sees. “I do not expect that people who would like to go on holiday to America will now refrain from doing so because of this call for a boycott.”
Under pressure
Radstake does acknowledge that travel to the United States has been under pressure for a year and a half. According to the leader, this is due to a combination of previous uncertainties, such as a very expensive dollar at the time, forest fires in California and stories about difficult border controls.
Although flights to America are now cheaper and the dollar is more favorable, the recovery is limited and many holidaymakers prefer to choose Asia this year.
Ten percent less
Figures from the travel industry have previously shown that interest in the US is declining somewhat. According to Hendrik-Jan Ottevanger of travel organization Little America, specialized in travel to the US and Canada, the number of Dutch travelers is currently about ten percent lower than a year ago.
In practice, holidaymakers who do cross the ocean notice very little of the political unrest. According to Ottevanger, customers who were in the US last summer hardly reported any problems. “Once you get there, it’s just America as it has been for years.”
Higher prices
Out the ANVR Annual Measurement 2026 it appears that wanderlust among Dutch people remains high and holidays remain an important moment for many people. For example, almost 90 percent indicate that the situation in the Middle East has no influence on their travel plans and 60 percent are not deterred by higher prices. Some travelers do choose alternative destinations, for example closer to home or within Europe.
“People continue to look for relaxation, new experiences and connection,” Radstake concludes. ‘At the same time, we see that the need for certainty and good guidance is growing. That is precisely where the power of the organized trip lies.’
What is the travel advice?
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set the travel advice for the US to ‘green’. This means that there are no special safety risks.
The average Dutch person’s holiday lasts 11 days and is often taken with their partner, with an average expenditure of approximately 3,000 euros per trip.
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