Travelling Dutch are seeking adventure again
The Dutch have always loved travelling. But after discovering the world and sailing the world's seas in the Golden Ages they seemed to have forgotten about their adventurous past. But, those days are back again, says trend watcher Tessa aan de Stegge during the Dutch Holiday Fare ‘Vakantiebeurs’ in Utrecht. Forget the traditional hotel rooms and rent a houseboat!
“The most striking difference with travelling ‘old school’ is that the Dutch think that having a new experience is increasingly more important then luxury. The travellers from the lowlands are visiting more unknown destinations and like to go on holiday without a very strict plan”, says Aan de Stegge. She also sees an increase in short trips.
Visit great cities by houseboat
Short and exciting trips. This fits well in the holiday vision of websites like our own. As Bookahouseboat.com offers adventurous accommodations on the water all over the world. The Dutchmen, who always have loved the water, can find lots of exciting places just around the corner.
Discovering Berlin with one of the many houseboats is an experience to never forget. (photo: Bookahouseboat.com)
A surprisingly popular destination is the German capital: Berlin offers may great driving houseboats. This means that you can actually drive the boat yourself, right through the center of the German capital. And this is just one of the many great cities where you can rent a houseboat. Ever thought about renting a houseboat in Paris, London or Amsterdam? You should, because these are perfect adventurous destinations for a short trip – even on a budget!
This is something that Tessa aan de Stegge can confirm. “Because people in the Netherlands are making shorter trips, they can go more often and gain more valuable new experiences. Such travellers spend less money on accommodation, thus save money to spend on cool things to do during their trip.”
Off the beaten paths
Another recent trend: the Dutch don’t seem to like the ‘one size fits all’ package holidays anymore. Nowadays they like to add a personal touch to their trip. “We call it the ‘No size fits all’ holidays. Many travellers like to make their trip special and they will search online to customize their perfect holiday.”
This is something that the team behind Bookahouseboat.com clearly recognizes. Tom, a fanatic houseboat fan and working for our houseboat rental platform: “We’re seeing a serious increase of people who choose an adventurous accommodation and build their custom holiday around it. Staying on a houseboat is a great adventure in itself, so people who choose a houseboat holiday will always have a good story to tell once they get home.”
Book a houseboat and customize your holiday now