Based on the June 2026 Vakantie Sentiment Monitor, a study conducted by NBTC (Nederlands Bureau voor Toerisme & Congressen), 89% of Dutch people intend to go on holiday in the next 12 months, slightly higher than last year (85%). Of the total, 57% have already booked their next vacation (compared to 53% in June 2025), with families being the group that made the most progress with bookings (70%, up from 63% previously). Among those who have not yet booked but intend to travel, 55% are already actively informing themselves. Of those who have already booked, most leave in July (32%), followed by August (21%) and September (15%); When traveling with the family, July is clearly still the preferred month (44%). As for the form of booking, the percentage of Dutch people who book directly with the service provider (hotel, accommodation or carrier) increased to 57%, while booking through a travel agency or website decreased to 32%. Europe remains the preferred destination: 57% of the Dutch will spend their next holiday in another European country (similar to the previous year), 28% will stay in their own country and around 15% will consider intercontinental travel. Within Europe, Spain clearly leads the preferences (18%), followed by Germany (15%), France (12%), Italy (11%) and Greece (5%). As for the means of transport, the plane continues to be the most chosen means of holidays in Europe (42%), but the car has been growing (43%, a significant increase compared to the previous year), especially on family holidays, where it rose from 48% to 60%. The hotel remains the most common accommodation option (38%), followed by apartments (14%) and bungalows (13%). Beach holidays have lost some weight compared to last year. When it comes to external factors, 45% of Dutch people say they are forced to adjust their holiday habits due to rising prices, and 49% avoid certain destinations due to news about overtourism. Extreme weather conditions increasingly influence decisions: 42% agree that they affect their choice of vacation (up from 37% last year), leading 63% of them to change destinations. Geopolitical conflicts also have a growing impact, with 29% citing the war in Ukraine and 39% the conflict in the Middle East as factors influencing the chosen destination. Sustainability, on the other hand, maintains a limited weight, with only 37% considering it relevant when choosing a vacation. The full study can be consulted here.
