Tourism in the Netherlands continued to grow in 2025, driven almost entirely by rising international demand, even as domestic travel showed signs of stagnation.
Today, 27 April, is King’s Day in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It’s the National Day of the Northern Low Countries.
Koningsdag (King’s Day) is the national holiday of the Netherlands, celebrated each year on 27 April to mark the birthday of Willem-Alexander. If the date falls on a Sunday, festivities are held a day earlier, on 26 April. The holiday is observed across the entire Kingdom, including Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
Origins and historical evolution
The origins of the celebration date back to 1885, when Prinsessedag (Princess’s Day) was first organised to celebrate the birthday of Wilhelmina, then a young heir to the throne. The initiative was partly intended to strengthen national unity at a time when the monarchy was under pressure.
After Wilhelmina became queen in 1890, the holiday was renamed Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day) and continued to be celebrated on her birthday, 31 August. In 1949, following the accession of Juliana, the date shifted to 30 April, her birthday. This springtime timing proved popular, encouraging large outdoor celebrations.
Her successor, Beatrix, retained 30 April as the national holiday after becoming queen in 1980, partly as a tribute to her mother and partly for practical reasons, as her own birthday in January was less suited to outdoor festivities.
A major change came in 2013, when Beatrix abdicated and her son, Willem-Alexander, became king. The first male monarch in more than a century. From 2014 onwards, the holiday was renamed Koningsdag (King’s Day) and moved to 27 April.
Traditions and celebrations
Koningsdag is known for its festive and informal atmosphere, with celebrations taking place nationwide. One of its defining features is the vrijmarkt (free market), a large-scale, permit-free flea market where people sell second-hand goods in streets, parks and public squares. It is the only day of the year when such trading is broadly allowed without regulation.
The holiday is also characterised by oranjegekte (‘orange frenzy’), referring to the widespread wearing of orange clothing and accessories in honour of the Dutch royal house, the House of Orange-Nassau. Cities fill with street parties, concerts and performances, while canals, especially in Amsterdam, become crowded with boats and revellers.
Music festivals and large public events are held across the country, often starting the night before, formerly known as Koninginnenacht (Queen’s Night). In major cities, hundreds of thousands of people gather for outdoor concerts and celebrations.
Children play traditional games such as koekhappen (catching cake suspended on a string) and participate in the vrijmarkt by selling toys and homemade items.
Royal involvement
A central element of Koningsdag is the participation of the royal family. Since the reign of Queen Beatrix, it has been customary for the monarch to visit one or more towns each year, engaging directly with local communities and taking part in festivities. This tradition continues under King Willem-Alexander, whose visits often highlight regional culture and traditions.
The day is also used to award royal honours, recognising individuals for their contributions to Dutch society.
Significance
Beyond its association with the monarchy, Koningsdag has evolved into a broader celebration of national identity and social cohesion. Its appeal lies less in formal patriotism and more in its inclusive, communal atmosphere. For one day each year, public space across the Netherlands is transformed into a shared festival, blending tradition, commerce and celebration on a national scale.
Visitor numbers
According to preliminary figures from Statistics Netherlands (Central Bureau for Statistics, CBS), a total of 52.2 million guests stayed in hotels, campsites and holiday parks across the country in 2025, an increase of nearly 2% compared with the previous year.
This growth was fuelled by foreign visitors, whose numbers rose by 5% to 22.3 million. By contrast, the number of domestic guests declined slightly by 0.4% to 29.9 million.
Hotels remained by far the dominant accommodation type, attracting 33.7 million guests (+2%). However, the strongest relative growth was recorded at campsites, where visitor numbers jumped by 9% to 5.6 million. Holiday parks remained broadly stable at 11.4 million guests, while group accommodation saw a decline.
The increase in international tourism was visible across all accommodation categories. Campsites, in particular, saw a sharp rise in foreign visitors (+10%), alongside an 8% increase in domestic campers. In hotels, international guests rose by 5% while domestic hotel stays fell slightly.
Germany continued to dominate as the largest source market by a wide margin, with 3.4 million hotel guests, followed by the United Kingdom (1.8 million), Belgium (1.7 million) and the United States (1.7 million). The strongest growth came from long-haul markets such as the US, alongside continued increases from neighbouring European countries.
Regionally, the fastest growth was recorded in Flevoland, where visitor numbers rose by more than 15% to just under one million. Other provinces such as Groningen and Friesland also saw strong increases in foreign tourism. By contrast, Zeeland and Utrecht experienced declines in total visitor numbers, with Zeeland seeing decreases among both domestic and international travellers.
North Holland remained the most visited province, largely due to the continued appeal of Amsterdam. The province welcomed 16.3 million guests in 2025, up 2% year-on-year. Among major cities, Amsterdam also recorded the strongest growth, with hotel stays rising to 9.5 million guests, while Rotterdam and The Hague saw more modest increases.
A long-term shift towards international tourism
The 2025 figures reinforce a longer-term trend in Dutch tourism: the growing importance of international visitors. While domestic tourism surged during the COVID-19 pandemic – particularly in 2020 and 2021 – international travel has since rebounded strongly and is now the primary driver of growth.
Historically, tourism has been a relatively modest but significant contributor to the Dutch economy. It accounts for around 5.4% of gross domestic product and nearly 10% of employment. The country has long attracted visitors due to its compact geography, well-developed infrastructure and globally recognisable destinations.
Key attractions include the canals and museums of Amsterdam, the windmills of Kinderdijk, traditional villages such as Volendam and Zaanse Schans, and major leisure destinations like the Efteling theme park and the Keukenhof gardens. These sites, combined with strong transport links and a dense hospitality network, have made the Netherlands one of Europe’s most accessible tourist destinations.
Even before the pandemic, international tourism was on a steady upward trajectory. In 2017, the Netherlands received around 17–18 million foreign tourists, placing it among the top 20 most visited countries globally. The majority of these visitors came from neighbouring European countries, particularly Germany, Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom, a pattern that remains largely unchanged today.
At the same time, long-haul markets have grown in importance. The United States, in particular, has become one of the largest non-European source markets, reflecting broader global travel trends and the Netherlands’ strong international connectivity.
Balancing growth and pressure
The continued rise in visitor numbers, especially in urban hotspots, has intensified debates about overtourism and regional distribution. Amsterdam, in particular, has implemented measures in recent years to manage visitor flows and reduce pressure on the city centre.
The 2025 data suggests that while tourism is still expanding overall, growth is becoming more uneven. Some regions, such as Flevoland and northern provinces, are benefiting from efforts to spread visitors more evenly across the country. Others, including traditional coastal destinations like Zeeland, are seeing declines.
This evolving pattern highlights a key challenge for Dutch tourism policy: how to sustain economic benefits while managing environmental impact, infrastructure strain and quality of life for residents.
With international demand continuing to rise, the Netherlands appears set to remain a highly attractive destination. The question for the coming years will be less about attracting visitors, and more about where – and how – they are accommodated.
Belgium and the Netherlands
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Belgium ranked as the third-largest source of foreign hotel guests in 2025. Dutch hotels recorded around 1.7 million Belgian guests that year. This places Belgium just behind Germany and the United Kingdom, and roughly on par with the United States. The figures reflect a long-standing pattern: Belgian visitors are consistently among the most important inbound markets, helped by geographical proximity, strong transport links and cultural familiarity.
Looking at longer-term trends, Belgian tourism to the Netherlands has been significant for years. Earlier data shows more than 2 million Belgian visitors annually in the late 2010s, indicating that current levels remain structurally high, even if the exact totals fluctuate depending on methodology (hotel stays versus all types of accommodation) and post-pandemic recovery patterns.
As for Belgians living in the Netherlands, they also represent a sizeable cross-border population. Recent demographic estimates indicate that roughly 120,000 to 130,000 Belgian nationals reside in the Netherlands. This makes them one of the larger foreign national groups in the country, although far smaller than communities such as Germans or Polish nationals.
This dual presence, strong visitor flows and a substantial resident population, reflects the close economic and social ties between the two neighbouring countries. Cross-border commuting, study and family links all contribute to sustained mobility in both directions, meaning that Belgian–Dutch travel is not only about tourism, but also about everyday regional integration.
Some tourism statistics
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