The Dutch are ready for their winter holidays. Are you as well?

As the summer season wasn’t quite as expected, we may be even more looking forward to the upcoming winter season.

This week we visited the opening of the winter season by the Dutch Ski Association and they shared some very interesting numbers with us. In February the Dutch Ski Association did research amongst Dutch winter sports enthusiasts. 96% of people that booked a winter holiday in winter 2019/2020, was planning to go again in winter 2020/2021. The research was repeated this summer. Despite Covid-19, the numbers are still very positive. 72% of people are still planning to go on a winter holiday this season and 40% of them already booked their holiday.

Of course, the people who haven’t booked their holiday yet were asked to explain why. A large percentage of them are planning to book last-minute. They will wait to book until it is known what measures they will face during and after their holiday.

This does not only apply to the winter sports holiday. Expected is that also a larger group of Dutch travellers will book a last-minute vacation to sunny destinations in winter. The decision to book a holiday or not depends on several factors. Is it safe to  travel? Which Covid-19 regulations apply? And of course, there is a difference in the Covid-19 approach per country or region. As a destination, it’s important to inform your potential target group and keep them up to date on a regular base. By clarifying the rules and the impact of the rules, you can help the customer in their decision making.