Benelux Market Overview

Netherlands Inbound Tourism Snapshot – Growth Market

The Benelux traveler has always been eager to travel, and this is still the case in 2023. In the Benelux we have at least 25 days paid vacation per year plus an average of 10 public holidays. This gives plenty of time to travel. On top of those vacation days, the Dutch receive “Vacation- money”, which is 8% of our annual salary, to be paid each year in May.

We have seen a change in the booking behavior. Where Pre-COVID planning and booking started a year ahead, based on a two-year experience of canceling and changing, people now decide and book as late as a week before departure. Of course, availability and price issues will probably even this out a bit, but flexibility in conditions is getting more and more important.

It is also the time for the creative future of travel. We expect that there will be more importance for specialized companies on sustainable and authentic and off the beaten path and luxury travel. Some other items will disappear such as single-purpose business travel and ultra-long-haul flights.

The National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) prepares an annual forecast of visitor volumes from the top 18 international source markets. The Netherlands ranked in 2022 #15 of these top destinations in visitor arrivals to the USA. Pre-COVID the USA welcomed around one million Benelux visitors. About half of this number of passengers already traveled again in 2022. Depending on the source, full recovery is expected sooner or later in the near future. Our expectations are that the arrival figures from the Benelux will be back to the Pre-COVID level by the end of 2025.

When traveling in the USA, the way of traveling has not changed. The average stay for the Benelux traveler in the USA is 18-20 days, and they will visit at least 3 states. Due to the increase in prices in general, it is likely that their average spending of $3,500 per trip will increase. The largest part of the Benelux visitors is individual travelers, traveling with an RV or car and staying a maximum of two nights in one place. They look for nature, outdoor experiences, meet with locals, and enjoy wide open spaces. They are very interested in lifestyles that we don’t have in Europe: the American lifestyle is appealing to the Benelux traveler. The hospitality, the art of showing culture and history, the food, the music.

People are more and more looking for connected trips and personalized experience. They ditch conventional and veer off course for all-new experiences. They want personal experiences, not to be a number. Popular are Cultural cities, Outdoors, Connecting with locals, TV destinations (only 2% difference with the top level: visiting family/friends), Wellness (32% growth in 2022) being alright with yourself. Furthermore, trends are:

• More sustainable travel. This will move faster than we think. 90% of the travelers is conscious about it. We see a clear generation change here
• Travelers spend more on insurance and financial services that will guarantee a seamless experience
• Seamless and personalized customer experience, Anywhere, anytime. Transform an experience into an amazing memory. Technology is key in this respect. Make the digital interaction seamless, communicate in local languages and explain in a clear way.
• Slow travel
• Wellness and health

In-Market Representatives 

Target Travel Marketing
Bisonspoor 3002-A701
3605 LT Maarssenm, The Netherlands
t: +31 30 67 707 57

Hanny Fluit, General Manager/CMO, [email protected]

Rianne Vera Van der Veer, Account & Marketing Executive, [email protected]

Public Relations 

GPP Netherlands Coverage – FY 23/24

Marketing & Sales Activities 

Travel South USA has a year-round investment in travel trade strategies along with earned, owned, and paid media to amplify our efforts in market. We commission monthly trend reports, and a comprehensive tour operator analysis is provided to state tourism offices participating in the Global Partner Program via Bordpaq.

Travel trade strategies include e-learnings, tour operator and agent activations, trade newsletters, workshops/regional trainings, trade- and road shows, cooperative event marketing with Brand USA and recruitment of top-notch tour operators to the Travel South USA International Showcase & Super FAM Tours. For states who have been involved in the Dutch program, we will look to amplify already known overall products while diving deeper into the specifics of the destination. Target Travel will enhance agent/tour operator training for states new to the program to help build product and awareness. Also, we will continue with a totally renewed Travel South’s XXXL Course, giving a new boost to the e-learning programs developed and launched each month through 2020 highlighting each GPP partner.

Earned, owned, and paid media strategies and tactics include hosting visiting journalists during the Global Media Summit, social media campaigns and cooperative advertising efforts B2C. In FY 2023/24, Travel South USA will continue benefiting from the earlier exposure of America Only.

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