Holiday flights more populair than ever

One in three Dutch holidaymakers flew to their holiday destination in 2000, a total of 4.1 passengers on holiday flights. In 1990 only 1.8 million people travelled by air to their holiday destination. Last year was the first year that Dutch holidaymakers spent more than half their foreign holiday budget on a holiday involving air travel, paying 4.3 billion euro for these holidays.

Seventy per cent of all holidays last year involving air travel were spent in a European country, and most of these in the Mediterranean. Spain and Greece, the latter mainly in the summer, are the most popular destinations. Turkey is also a firm favourite: last year twice as many Dutch people visited Turkey as in 1999. Great Britain owes its high ranking to the short trips to London. North America is by far the favourite destination for intercontinental holidaymakers, followed by the Far East, Egypt and the Caribbean.

Holiday flights by destination and season, 2000

People who live in the Randstad area in the west of the Netherlands, and those in the province of Groningen fly to their holiday destinations more often than average. Only 13% of holidaymakers from Friesland on the other hand travel to their destination by air.

Holidays with air travel as a share of all foreign holidays, 2000

Holiday flights are especially popular among people in the age group 19-29 years. Four out of ten holidaymakers in this age group fly to their destination. On the other hand relatively few families with children travel by air. People aged over 75 more often travel by air than people aged between 50 and 74.

Holidays with air travel as a share of all foreign holidays, by age, 2000

Theo van Miltenburg