Several providers of holiday homes are seeing an increase in bookings following the elimination of the Dutch national team from the World Cup. According to Robert van Veen, director of Natuurhuisje, people are increasingly tailoring their holidays to current events and weather forecasts.
Trends
Natuurhuisje received 55 percent more bookings for July in the seven days after the elimination than in the week before. The platform offers 19,000 nature‑based holiday accommodations, most of them in the Netherlands and Belgium. Van Veen says the World Cup had a “remarkably large influence” on booking behaviour this summer.
EuroParcs also saw demand rise. Bookings in the first week of July were 34 percent higher than in the last week of June. The Dutch team was eliminated by Morocco on June 30. A spokesperson stresses that the increase cannot be attributed solely to that moment, noting that a similar effect occurred after the 2024 European Championship.
Centre Parcs reports a comparable trend. Since June 30, bookings have increased compared to the same period last year. However, the company cannot confirm a direct link to the Dutch team’s elimination. According to a spokeswoman, bookings are influenced by multiple factors, including the holiday period, weather forecasts and other seasonal developments.
Last‑Minute
Holiday park operator Landal, which manages 260 parks across nine countries, is also seeing a surge in last‑minute bookings. A spokesperson says the company does not ask customers for the reason behind their booking, making it difficult to identify a single cause. The rise may be linked to the World Cup exit, but could also be driven by the warm weather, which encourages people to choose holiday homes with air conditioning.
@anp | NEWSBRAINPORT
