The current travel restrictions and uncertainty as a result of the corona crisis have a major impact on the vacation plans of the Dutch. It looks as if in 2021 a lot of people will be opting for a holiday in their own country. In the months of July, August and September, no fewer than 5,9 million Dutch people went on holiday in their own country, a quarter more than a year earlier. And that trend continues. That is what the sharing platforms Barqo, Camptoo and SnappCar expect. Since the COVID measures earlier this year, they have seen the number of domestic applications rise sharply.
The sharing platforms, where tenants and lessors of boats, campers, caravans and cars are brought into contact with each other, have recently been able to welcome many Dutch users in particular to their website. This upward trend will continue for 2021, as is evident from the increasing number of applications that are already being received for the coming year. The platforms in the sharing economy thus generate a source of income for commercial parties, but also for private landlords.
Thijs Janssen, founder of Barqo: “The Dutch are playing it safe, according to the visitor numbers and the number of requests to our website. In addition, the warm summer days have of course also had an influence on the success. Both developments have ensured that Barqo realized a 350% increase on domestic boating holidays in the past summer season. This trend looks set to continue this summer. Anyone who wants to book a domestic boating holiday in 2021 must be early. ”
Martijn Peeters, Founder of Camptoo: “We saw a growth in people who went on holiday in their own country: where 30% of tenants stayed in their own country last year, this was 45% this year. In June alone we achieved growth of 222% in bookings in the Netherlands, after which we were quickly fully booked in the months of July and August. Ultimately this year many tens of thousands of Dutch people were able to enjoy a camper or caravan holiday via Camptoo.
Erik Rutten, CEO of car-sharing platform SnappCar: “People are discovering the shared car as an alternative to public transport or for buying their own car, according to our figures: we saw 20% more bookings during the holiday period than last year. That's great, because it contributes to our mission to reduce car ownership. Before the corona outbreak, cars had been idle for an average of 23 hours a day. With the many homeworkers, cars are parked even more often. With our members' 50.000 cars, we can make a major contribution to getting people safely from A to B. The growth of car sharing will undoubtedly accelerate further in the coming year. ”
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