Record number of tourists booking overnight stays

Altogether 5.4 million foreign tourists stayed at Dutch overnight accommodations in the third quarter of 2022. This is double the number in pandemic year 2021. Nevertheless, the number of foreign guests is not yet back at the level of pre-pandemic year 2019. The number of domestic guests fell by 8 percent to 9.2 million.

A total of 49.7 million overnight stays were booked by tourists in the third quarter of this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 7 percent.

Over twice as many international hotel guests

Hotels, campsites and group accommodations all recorded more tourist arrivals than one year previously. Hotels received 8.6 million guests, 27 percent more than in the third quarter of 2021. This increase is almost entirely attributable to a generous doubling of foreign overnight guests. The number of domestic guests fell slightly. Group accommodations registered 528 thousand guests. For this type of lodging as well, the number of foreign guests was twice as high as in 2021. Campsites and holiday parks saw an increase in foreign guest arrivals of around 80 percent. Year on year, campsites and holiday parks saw fewer domestic guest arrivals. The decrease was sharpest at holiday parks: -18 percent, to 2 million.

Mainly more guests from the United Kingdom

Most foreign guests arrived from Germany: nearly 2.2 million. In addition, many guest arrivals were from Belgium (714 thousand). Relative to the third quarter of 2021, the number of guests from the United Kingdom increased most sharply (to 464 thousand). The majority of intercontinental guests came from the Americas (524 thousand).

More hotel guests in large cities

Hotels in the four major cities received more tourists than one year previously. The increase ranged from 25 percent in Utrecht to 88 percent in Amsterdam. This was largely due to a rising number of foreign hotel guests. Amsterdam saw the sharpest rise: by 130 percent, to more than 1.6 million. However, the number of foreign guests staying at Amsterdam hotels is not yet back at the level of 2019 (2 million).

Largest increase in Noord-Holland

In the third quarter of 2021, the number of guests saw relatively the sharpest increase in the province of Noord-Holland, by 57 percent year on year. This was partly due to more guests staying in Amsterdam. Zuid-Holland and Noord-Brabant recorded increases of 10 percent or more. In Overijssel, Gelderland and Zeeland, the number of guests declined. These are provinces where the guests are generally domestic. At 4 million, the highest number of guests was seen in Noord-Holland. Next were Zuid-Holland and Noord-Brabant with 1.8 and 1.5 million guests respectively.