Number of overnight tourists up to 46 million in 2019

© Nikki van Toorn (CBS)
The number of guests staying in Dutch overnight accommodations rose to 46.3 million in 2019. This represents a year-on-year growth of more than 5 percent. The number of overnight stays increased by 7 percent to 124 million. This is shown by new figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

The number of both Dutch and foreign guests staying in registered accommodations was up, although the increase was highest among foreign visitors. Their number was up by 8 percent while the number of Dutch guests rose by 3 percent.

All accommodations recorded more guests

At 10.5 percent, the increase in the number of guests was highest among holiday park accommodations. They also recorded the highest increase in terms of overnight stays: nearly 10 percent. Group accommodations saw their overnight stays decline in 2019. This was due to the fact that fewer nights were spent by foreign visitors.

Largest increase in Noord-Holland, largest drop in Flevoland

In 2019, Noord-Holland province received the largest number of tourists: approximately 15 million. With nearly 700 thousand, the province of Flevoland had the lowest number of overnight guests. The largest increase in the number of guests was seen in Noord-Holland and Noord-Brabant, while Groningen, Friesland, Flevoland and Overijssel welcomed fewer guests than in 2018. In most provinces, the decline was caused by less domestic tourism.

Because there was a more rapid increase in the number of overnight stays than in the number of guests, the average stay per guest increased. This increase can be seen across all provinces, with the exception of Noord-Brabant.

Growth in Amsterdam and Utrecht

Of the four large cities in the Netherlands, Amsterdam welcomed most tourists last year: over 9 million. The majority came from abroad. Far fewer guests stayed in Rotterdam (1.2 million), The Hague (1.0 million) and Utrecht (451 thousand). The ratio between Dutch and foreign tourists in these cities is more or less equal.

Relative to 2018, the number of overnight guests in Amsterdam rose by 9 percent, the highest increase among the four large cities. Foreign tourism in the Dutch capital grew in particular. Utrecht mainly showed an increase in domestic tourism. The number of guests in Rotterdam dropped slightly, after it had soared in 2018.

Sources