Number of visitors to Madurodam in the Netherlands 2011-2020

Madurodam, a miniature park located in the Hague in the Netherlands, attracted significantly fewer visitors in 2020 over the previous year, most likely due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Dutch tourist attraction contains models of major cities, infrastructure, and landmarks in the country built on a scale of one to 25. Another major park located in the Hague is De Uithof, an indoor sports complex which was also the second most visited amusement park in the Netherlands in 2020.

COVID-19 impact on Dutch tourism industry

The global pandemic created unprecedented challenges for several industries worldwide, including the Dutch tourism sector. Overall, the number of inbound tourists in the Netherlands decreased by almost 13 million in 2020 compared to the previous year. Looking at the change in international tourism receipts in the Netherlands in 2019 and 2020, revenue from international tourism was lower in each quarter of 2020 compared to 2019. Tourist attractions which are especially popular among international visitors in the Netherlands also experienced a substantial decrease in foreign attendees in 2020. For instance, famous establishments such as the Van Gogh Museum opened their doors to only one sixth of the international visitors attracted in 2019.

Hotel guests in the Netherlands

The number of international hotel guests in the Netherlands more than halved in 2020 over the previous year. While the number of Europeans traveling to Netherlands halved in 2020, there were even more significant reductions in the number of inbound travelers from other continents. After the health crisis started, the average occupancy rate of hotels in the Netherlands declined by more than a half.