More tourists in the last months of 2004
Guests spent 3.5 percent more nights in overnight accommodations in the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of 2004 than in the same quarter in 2003. This nearly made up for the decline observed earlier in 2004. For the whole of 2004, guests spent a total 80.9 million nights in Dutch accommodation, 0.4 percent down on 2003.
A total 25.7 million guests stayed in the Netherlands for one or more nights, 2.9 percent more than in 2003. As a result, the average number of nights per guest was smaller.
Overnight stays per quarter
Fewer Germans, more Americans and Asians
The fall in the number of nights spent by guests in the Netherlands in 2004 was observed for Dutch, (-0.6 percent) and especially German (-6.5 percent) guests. Together they accounted for a decrease of more than 1 million nights.
Visitors from America and Asia accounted for a relatively substantial increase in the number of overnight stays: 9.4 percent and 12.7 percent respectively. Because these two groups had a smaller share in the number of overnight stays than Dutch and Germans, the net decrease came to 0.3 million nights.
Guests and nights spent by country of origin
Disappointing summer and slow economy
The disappointing summer of 2004 and economic growth in their own countries had an effect on the number of foreign tourists. Economic growth in Germany, for example was smaller than the high growth rates in the United States and the United Kingdom. Part of the recovery was a reaction to events in 2003, when the war in Iraq and the SARS outbreak led to lower number of tourist nights spent in the Netherlands.
Guests and overnight stays in hotels and other accommodation
Fewer campers, more hotel guests
The fall in the number of Germans staying overnight was noticeable for both hotels and on campsites and in holiday parks.
In spite of this, hotels popular among foreign visitors showed nearly 4.5 percent growth in the number of overnight bookings in 2004: 5.9 percent growth for foreigners (although fewer Germans) and 2.8 percent for Dutch guests.
German and Dutch tourists prefer campsites and holiday parks. The category ‘other forms of accommodation’, mostly campsites and holiday parks, had 2.8 percent fewer overnight bookings: 6.7 percent fewer foreigners and 1.7 percent fewer Dutch guests.
Vincent van Polanen Petel