Amsterdam is seeing a significant decline in business tourism, with the number of business travelers staying overnight in the Dutch capital falling by 38 percent compared with 2019, according to new research by ABN Amro.
While leisure tourists have helped fill some of the rooms left vacant by business travelers, the shift is raising concerns for the city’s hospitality sector. According to the Netherlands Board of Tourism (NBTC), business visitors spend on average twice as much as leisure travelers.
Business stays lose ground
The number of business hotel guests in Amsterdam fell from 5.82 million in 2019 to 3.59 million last year, the research found.
Business travelers also accounted for a much smaller share of overnight stays. Their share dropped from 32 percent in 2019 to around 18 percent last year.
The decline is particularly significant for hotels because business travelers tend to stay during weekdays and outside traditional holiday periods, providing demand when leisure tourism is typically weaker.
“The decline hits hotels directly. Business guests typically book on weekdays and outside vacation periods,” researcher Stef Driessen said.
More visitors are choosing day trips
The changing tourism pattern is not limited to the decline in business travel. Researchers also identified a broader shift from overnight stays toward day visits.
International visitors are increasingly choosing accommodation outside Amsterdam while visiting the city during the day. The trend is even more pronounced among Dutch visitors.
Around 61 percent of international visitors to Amsterdam are now day-trippers, according to the research. Among Dutch visitors in the city center, the figure rises to 85 percent.
A challenge for Amsterdam’s tourism model
The shift could have wider implications for Amsterdam’s tourism strategy.
The city has for years sought to attract so-called “quality visitors,” including business travelers, who tend to spend more and are generally considered less likely to contribute to the problems associated with mass tourism.
Business travelers also generate demand beyond the traditional peak tourist season, making their decline particularly important for hotels, restaurants and other businesses that rely on visitor spending.
The growing preference for day trips, meanwhile, means that the number of visitors in the city does not necessarily translate into the same level of economic activity as overnight tourism.
For Amsterdam, the challenge is therefore not simply attracting more visitors, but attracting visitors who stay longer and contribute more to the local economy.
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