Travel/leisure

Two evacuation flights from Tenerife to Eindhoven will depart on Monday after a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius. One flight carries crew members; the other transports passengers who will later continue to Australia. The ship will sail to Rotterdam for disinfection.

The caravan is enjoying a significant resurgence in the Netherlands, with new sales figures from trade associations BOVAG and KCI showing an 18 per cent increase in registrations this spring. While caravan sales are currently declining across the rest of Europe in favour of motorhomes, the Dutch market is bucking the trend, driven largely by young families who see them as an ideal way to holiday with children. Industry experts note that since the pandemic, caravans have firmly returned to the radar of younger generations, resulting in over 2,100 new units being sold in just two months.

The Dutch are seeking certainty in holiday plans. This means avoiding travel to middle-east, instead preferring European, particularly Mediterranean, destinations and places like Cape Verde or Curacao on long-haul travel. Overall, there isn’t any significant reduction in holiday travel bookings seen.

The outdoor swimming season officially launches this Friday, 1 May, though the warm weather brings dozens of immediate safety warnings across the country’s 950 official sites. While 94% of locations have maintained high water quality standards recently, two spots in Gelderland are currently under total bans, and roughly 40 others have issued alerts for blue-green algae or pollution. Authorities urge swimmers to check official updates before diving in, as entering flagged waters can lead to skin irritation or stomach upsets, and swimming always remains at the individual's own risk.

The war in the Middle East is pushing Air France‑KLM’s fuel bill up by 2.4 billion dollars this year, with higher ticket prices and a trimmed growth plan the most visible effects for passengers.

Dutch users sent a record 756,316 Tikkie payments on King’s Day, 9 percent more than last year and nearly 57 percent above an average day in 2026.

The Dutch railway company NS has started rolling out bodycams for its chief conductors, following trials that showed the devices help prevent escalation. About 3,500 staff members are expected to use them by the end of this year, with footage available for evidence if incidents occur. The move is backed by the government as part of wider efforts to improve safety on public transport.

BOVAG chair Christianne van der Wal says targeted energy support would be more effective than cutting fuel taxes. She argues that broad tax reductions are costly and limited in impact, while focused measures could better support households and businesses facing rising costs.