Summer holidays will soon start for many Dutch people. Because in previous years there were often reports that the Dutch go on holiday moderately to poorly prepared. The results of this survey show that we have learned from the lessons of the past and that in 2018 the Dutch are preparing quite well for their summer holidays.
A quarter of the Dutch say they will not go on holiday this year. 54 percent of them indicate that holidays are too expensive. Last year, 42 percent thought holidays were too expensive.
Dutch expats and pensioners in Thailand visit each other and try to maintain their social life abroad. The many Dutch Associations are a good example of this. Research by Statistics Netherlands shows that satisfaction with social life is not only related to how often and with whom someone has contact, but also the way in which. Especially the personal meeting seems to count.
More than half of the Dutch go on holiday stressed
Only half of the Dutch go on holiday in a relaxed way. Stress hits young families the hardest: less than half go on holiday in a relaxed way. Young couples and the over-65s suffer the least from holiday stress. It is striking that holiday stress also strikes at night: more than half of the women sleep badly the night before departure, compared to only 27% of the men.
Good food on holiday? Thailand is the culinary top!
Good food on holiday? Then stay away from Cuba or Egypt! With a score of 6,6 and 6,9, they are the least appreciated culinary holiday countries in the world. Of all continents, Asian cuisine scores the highest and North American cuisine the lowest.
In 2017, 62 percent of the population aged 15 or older said they trust their fellow human beings. This mutual trust has gradually increased in recent years. Confidence in institutions such as judges, the police, the House of Representatives and the European Union has also grown. This is evident from new figures from Statistics Netherlands from the study Social cohesion and well-being.
12 million Dutch people go on summer vacation
This summer, almost 7 out of 10 Dutch people want to go on holiday, that is almost 12 million Dutch people. Compared to last year, this is an increase of 240.000 holidays (+2%). More than 8,7 million Dutch people are expected to go abroad this summer (+2%), mainly in Europe. More than 2,5 million Dutch people opt for a long summer holiday in their own country (+1%).
New research shows that 44% of people would like to be a borderless traveler. Despite this, 63% now say that they do not get the most out of a holiday. It also appears that 20% have never really felt 'boundless'.
A third of the Dutch would rather stay at home than go on holiday with their parents-in-law. It also appears that one in ten young men prefer to go on holiday with friends, rather than with their partner.
If you are traveling to Thailand or elsewhere this summer and decide to look for some excitement and adventure, it would be a good idea to check their travel insurance first. Of every ten travel insurance policies, four do not cover the risks of dangerous sports at all, three only optionally with the winter sports cover and one only if the cover has been specifically requested.
This is evident from the first quarterly report of 2018 on the Continuous Survey Citizen Perspectives (COB). The Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP) pays attention to the mood in the Netherlands and views on political and social issues.
Nine out of ten Dutch people consider themselves lucky
Almost nine out of ten adults in the Netherlands say they are happy and 3 percent unhappy. The percentage that is happy has been stable since 2013. Working people are more often happy than benefit recipients. Statistics Netherlands announced this yesterday on the international day of happiness.
34% Dutch people concerned about their own finances
The importance of financial care is great. For example, it has a stronger correlation with happiness than income itself, but also, for example, than the number of friends someone says they have. More than a third of the Dutch are concerned about their own financial situation.
Dutch people increasingly eager to travel: number of holidays increased by 2017% in 3
Last year the number of holidays grew by 3% to a total of 36,7 million holidays. More than half of the number of holidays taken by the Dutch took place abroad (19,1 million).
Australia, Thailand and South Africa are the best valued 'overall' long-distance travel destinations among Dutch travellers. This is evident from more than 11.000 extensive reviews on the travel assessment site 27vakantiedagen.nl. The top 5 best rated distant travel countries is further completed by – remarkably enough – Mexico and Nepal.
Belgians on holiday in 2018 want to stay fit and discover new trends
Which trips have Belgians been looking for the most in recent months? Three trends are very clear for 2018. The 'Fitcation', where you stay fit while enjoying your vacation, could be the biggest new trend for 2018. But the long-distance cruise is also sure to be a hit. And for city trips, other destinations than classics such as London or Paris come on the radar, according to tour operator Neckermann/Thomas Cook, who analyzed the search behavior of Belgians on its websites.
Thailand in top 3 popular faraway holiday destinations for the Dutch
In the top 10 of holiday destinations far away (more than 5 hours flying time), it is striking that the United States still scores particularly well as an ideal holiday destination. Furthermore, Indonesia and Thailand are clearly popular and Curacao is also a national favorite of the public.