The number of overnight stays for Dutch holiday makers in Gelderland has increased by 4% in 2018. Dutch people tend to go on longer vacations. This resulted in a total of 17 million overnight stays in Gelderland. The number of overnight stays for foreign tourists increased by 14.4% during the first 9 months of 2018.
Fewer vacations within the borders, more overnight stays
These numbers are remarkable because the total number of vacations within the borders decreased slightly by about 2.4%. In Gelderland, there was a decrease of 2.1% in booked vacations in 2018. The numbers are still positive, because the vacations that were booked were longer in duration and therefore resulted in more overnight stays. This was shown by the results of the yearly Continuous Holiday Study.
Gelderland is the most popular holiday province in The Netherlands
As in previous years, Gelderland remains the most popular holiday province in The Netherlands. Dutch holiday makers went on nearly 1.9 million vacations at the Veluwe and the Veluwerand. In 2017, the Veluwe was still number 1 on the list of popular domestic holiday regions. The region now occupies third place, following seaside towns at the North Sea and the sandy landscapes of Groningen, Frisia and Drenthe. Thanks to 2018's beautiful summer, the areas offering lots of water may have benefited from it more.
More expenditures in Gelderland
Dutch people went on nearly 2.9 million vacations in our province during 2018. In addition to the Veluwe, the other regions of Gelderland received many visits as well. Visitors spent about €495 million in the process, which is almost €5 million more than in 2017.
More foreign tourists visit Gelderland
The numbers of the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) show that foreign tourists make their way to Gelderland in increasing numbers as well. The number of overnight stays for foreign tourists and business visitors increased by 14.4% to a total of nearly 1.5 million during the first 9 months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. The growth in The Netherlands during that period amounted to nearly half (7.6%).
