The 2023 financial year has ended very successfully and the predictions for a wanderlust 2024 indicate that vacations and travel remain high on the list of priorities. This is what the ANVR says in a review of 2023 and a preview of the new financial year 2024. “This indicates that experiences are more important than purchasing other products. Since May 2023, there has already been a higher number of bookings compared to 2022 and the pre-Covid year of 2019. The share of travel and holidays outside Europe is again comparable to the pre-corona development’, reports the ANVR. In the month of November, the top 10 most important European destinations all recorded double-digit growth, with the exception of a 4 percent decline for Belgium. ABN AMRO already concluded that the Dutch still want to go on holiday in 2024 in its Leisure Sector Forecast 2023-2024, which was published at the end of December. Partly due to the expected improvement in purchasing power, the need for travel will continue in 2024, says the ANVR. For the entire leisure sector, volume growth of 3 percent is expected in 2024. Travel companies in particular are expected to generate more turnover (+8 percent). This is partly thanks to the wanderlust Gen Z (born between roughly 1997 and 2012, grew up with the internet and is skilled with social media, ed.). The ANVR expects that especially families with children who travel during the school holidays will be early to book their favorite holiday. ‘Not least because there is still plenty of choice among the various travel providers,’ says ANVR director Frank Oostdam. ‘With the bad summer weather of 2023 still fresh in their minds and the subsequent rainy months, people now want to make their holiday plans for 2024. This is already causing a lot of pressure among ANVR members in the country and will undoubtedly cause crowds again at the Vakantiebeurs at the beginning of January.’ In its review, the ANVR notes some travel trends for n 2023;
Multiple generations traveling together ‘Increasingly, we see multiple generations travelling together. Sometimes to celebrate a special occasion, but more and more often just for fun and togetherness. Going on holiday with your children and grandchildren for one or two weeks gives a stronger bond than visiting each other at home a few times. A nice side effect for the parents is often that they can also go out together for an evening if the grandparents look after the grandchildren.’
Increase in holidays outside the high season ‘In addition, we also saw an increase in holidays outside the high season in 2023. We see in a number of industries that more and more employers are choosing to give more flexibility to their employees and not close their business completely during the summer months, making it easier for people without children to travel outside the high season. People without children living at home in particular would like to travel at a different time of the year.’ Wanting to travel more sustainably ‘In the past year, we have noticed that travellers want to travel more sustainably, but also do not want to miss out on their holidays. Holidays by train, for example, are growing, but they are not always a fast and stable option. Nevertheless, the ANVR sees a growing interest from travelers who do not mind a few hours of extra travel time and opt for a sustainable train journey. Taking an electric car to the countries on the Mediterranean Sea has so far required patience and creativity when it comes to charging, but more and more the possibilities for this are being broadened. In the coming year, we will help our members to make the sustainable initiatives that are being taken in the field of travel more visible. This makes it possible for the traveller to choose a more sustainable alternative.’
Away from the crowd ‘There was more of a search for places where you can spend your holidays away from the crowd. This can be done by traveling more outside the school holidays, but also by looking at the less popular places and more in nature. We see that our members are also adapting their offerings accordingly.’
Workation ‘The longer journeys, in which people go to work from a holiday destination, mainly arose during corona, but are still continuing. This is especially popular among young people and some companies respond to this by allowing it or even working with the company in a sunny location. The focus is on enjoying and discovering a different environment after working hours.’
