Corona has had a huge impact on the behavior of Dutch holidaymakers in recent years. They have started booking their holidays shorter and shorter before departure and the average travel sum they spend on air holidays has risen sharply. Countries and destinations within driving distance turned out to be the most popular in corona time, with the Netherlands proudly leading the way.
This is apparent from an analysis of the booking and search behavior of millions of holidaymakers by review and booking site Zoover over the past three years. By comparing the data from 2019, 2020 and 2021, a good picture is created of the enormous impact that corona has had and continues to have on the travel industry.
Big impact
Interest in foreign flight holidays has fluctuated in recent years. After the first lockdown in March last year, half of the holidays booked in January 2020 had to be cancelled. Interest picked up again in the spring of 2021. After the last lockdown, there is again less activity.
“June 2021 was the best booking month in corona times. In addition to the lockdown, this last dip also has to do with the season. People are less busy with holidays in October and November. You also saw that behavior before corona. Holidays for next spring are particularly popular at the moment.”
Higher travel sum
The prices of air holidays have fluctuated in recent years. In May they became 10% more expensive within a week, just before the summer holidays in June prices fell spectacularly again. The average travel sum that people spent on their vacation increased. At the beginning of December, the average travel sum per booking amounted to 1881 euros, the highest level since corona broke out. People spent 6,66% more on air travel to Spain this year than in 2019, on air travel to Greece 12,42% more and travel to Turkey 21,27% more. “Prices have risen somewhat, but people are also opting for more luxury and are more likely to book all-inclusive, which is more expensive,” Wijnia explains.
More often last minute
Due to all the uncertainties and travel restrictions, holidaymakers are booking their trip shorter and shorter before departure. Last summer there was an average of four weeks between the time of booking and the start of the holiday. Where in 2019 and 2020 the majority of holidaymakers booked their holiday more than 12 weeks in advance, in 2021 this was on average between 2 and 6 weeks. Wijnia: “Almost 22% of the holidays were even booked super last minute with only 0 to 2 weeks between the time of booking and departure.”
Spain more popular
The Netherlands has always been the most popular holiday destination, followed by France and Italy. Because many people stayed in their own country, the share of the Netherlands grew in the past three years. In 2021, Spain has pushed Italy out of the top 3 most sought-after holiday destinations. In any case, car holidays have been much more popular than flying holidays since corona.
Accurate analysis
In addition to 15.000 package holidays, Zoover has almost 4 million reviews from travelers about all holiday destinations in the world. This makes the website a popular starting point for travelers to orientate on a holiday. On average, the site attracts 30 million visitors per year. This allows Zoover to accurately track and analyze the search and booking behavior of Dutch holidaymakers.
Looking forward
From a previous poll by Zoover it turned out that the Dutch are eager to go on holiday 'normally' again in 2022, without all the restrictions. In the bookings for next year it can be seen that most people book a sun holiday to Spain, Turkey and Greece. Currently most bookings are made for April 2022 and Turkey is by far the most popular destination in that month.
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