Holidaying close to home: convenience more important than safety

New research by DeVakantieGids.nl among 859 Dutch people shows that while global unrest and safety play a role in holiday choice, they are rarely decisive. Instead, convenience, such as shorter travel time, appears to be a more important reason for going on holiday closer to home.

The findings are in keeping with a period when global tensions and changing travel advisories regularly dominate the news.

Unrest plays a part, but does not determine choice

The survey shows that 65% of Dutch people indicate that global unrest and sense of security play a role, to a greater or lesser extent, in their holiday choice towards 2026.

Yet that does not mean that safety is the main reason for choosing a holiday close to home.

Only 13.78% of respondents explicitly mention safety as a factor that makes holidays in the Netherlands more attractive.

Convenience and travel time decisive

What does stand out is that practical considerations weigh more heavily. For instance, 38.92% of Dutch people indicate that shorter travel time is an important reason for going on holiday closer to home.

In addition, factors such as being less dependent on external circumstances and a familiar environment also play a role, but to a lesser extent.

Safety not a main reason for domestic holidays

According to DeVakantieGids.nl, this shows that the image of the ‘cautious holidaymaker’ is not entirely accurate.

“We see that security certainly plays a role in the back of people's minds, but is rarely the deciding factor. Especially at a time when unrest is more often in the news, the Dutch choose convenience, tranquillity and overview above all. Short travel times and clear expectations are often more important than geopolitical unrest,” says Frits Broer, initiator of DeVakantieGids.nl.

Other factors play bigger role

Besides travel time, factors such as being less dependent on external circumstances (17.24%) and familiar surroundings (12.57%) are also mentioned as reasons for staying closer to home.

This underlines that the choice to holiday in the Netherlands often stems from practical and personal preferences, and not exclusively from concerns about safety.

About the study

The survey was conducted by DeVakantieGids.nl via an online questionnaire in the period from December 2025 to February 2026. A total of 859 Dutch people participated. The full survey and research design are available at DeVakantieGids.nl

Report research.pdf