This summer, Europe experienced a major wave of revenge travel. Millions of tourists from around the globe packed their bags, craving new experiences after two years of travel restrictions and lockdowns.
The tourism wave is not fading out. Droves of US and Australian travelers returned to Europe for their summer holidays and are already planning their winter and spring vacations.
This month, The Data Appeal Company analyzed travel trends on the Dutch capital: Amsterdam by analyzing its attractions and reputation in the eyes of both locals and foreigners, and forecasting what will happen in coming months.
What do visitors think of this unique city? Which are the must-see attractions? Is there a particular traveler type or visitor origin who prefers Amsterdam? How is beer tourism impacting the city? Which hotels are preferred by guests?
To find out, we consulted D / AI Destinations, our destination analysis platform, complete with points-of-interest data, sentiment scores, popularity insights and more.
The Top 5 Attractions in Amsterdam
It’s no surprise that the attractions in Amsterdam that recorded the highest number of online content (reviews, social posts, etc.) over the last months are some of the most renowned ones in the Netherlands’ capital.
Our sentiment score is a proprietary index that gathers, analyzes and synthesizes all the reviews and comments from over 130 sources online – ranging from TripAdvisor and Booking.com and Google to Facebook.
Museums score first place as the most appreciated attraction type, but parks also score high.
- Rijksmuseum recorded the highest number of reviews (3,200) and a very positive Sentiment Score of 93.3/100
- The Anne Frank House followed with lower volume of reviews (1,800) and a slightly lower Sentiment Score 90.6/100
- Vondelpark comes in third for the number of reviews; however, it scores the highest Sentiment Score in the top rankings – 94.5/100. This park is visited by approximately 9 million people each year and its high score reflects that visitors are having an excellent experience.
- ARTIS (park and zoo) ranks 4th for total online content and records a solid Sentiment Score: 88.9/100. This is another beloved attraction for adults and kids, as it features both a botanical garden and zoo.
- NEMO Science Museum brings home the 5th spot for total reviews, but it scores a slightly higher sentiment than Artis: 90.1/100. This museum is not only rich in interactive activities, but it itself is a work of art, designed by archi-star Renzo Piano and features a stunning view over Amsterdam.
Interesting Amsterdam attractions worth a visit
After our analysis, there were several interesting, lesser-known points of interest that recorded positive visitor sentiment. Check out the trending attractions:
- Moco Museum, an independent contemporary art museum. It has become one of the most visited places in the city thanks to the iconic street art, “Girl with Balloon”, by Bansky. Moco Museum features in our top 10 list with a Sentiment Score of 86.3/100.
- AMAZE Amsterdam scores an impressive Sentiment of 96.3/100. This audio-visual immersive experience is often defined by visitors as a “trip down the rabbit hole”.
- The ‘Fabrique des Lumières’ exhibition opened its doors in April 2022, in the former gas plant of Westergasfabriek. It’s already scoring an impressive 96.9/100 Sentiment, wowing both visitors and locals alike.
United States, European and Australian travelers all choose Amsterdam as their next winter destination
Amsterdam is undoubtedly a top destination for spring and summer travel, as it offers plenty of open-air activities and attractions, but it’s definitely worth a visit during the winter season as well.
Snowy, cozy days and quality beer warm the spirit of both locals and foreigners alike, promising a fairy-tale-like holiday in the winter months.
Flight booking data, gathered from GDS and integrated in the D / AI Destinations platform, reveals that many tourists are starting to plan their Amsterdam vacation
during the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period.
Moreover, American and British travelers have already started booking their holidays in March.
Our market insights show United States travelers (23.4%) are the most numerous, both in November and December, followed by Europeans from England (7.1%), Italy (4.7%) and Spain (3.8%).
Australians will also fly to Amsterdam this winter season, especially in December, to enjoy the icy canals and Christmas markets.
US travelers will stay about one week, but nearly one third (31%) are planning an even longer trip between 8 and 13 nights, which means they will likely visit other Dutch cities or neighboring countries.
The story is similar to Australians, who will visit Amsterdam probably as a first stop of a longer tour – maybe to visit relatives and friends – as more than half of them plan to stay up to 30 or more nights.
On the other hand, Italians and British vacationers usually stay just for a weekend (2-4 nights).
Happy Hour = Happy Traveler: Beer proves itself as a top Amsterdam attraction
Aside from eclectic museums and family-friendly parks, many travelers visit Amsterdam for its excellent beers, both in summer and winter.
With our destination intelligence solutions, we took an in-depth look at two of the most renowned beer cities in the world: Amsterdam and Brussels, to understand which capital is most appreciated for its beer and has the highest quality breweries.
We examined the food and beverage industry to measure how bars, pubs and breweries are perceived by customers in both cities.
When digging into the Sentiment of our two beer cities, the Food & Beverage sector of both Amsterdam and Brussels in the last 12 months recorded an excellent result; however, the Sentiment in Amsterdam is slightly higher: 85.9/100 versus 85.3/100.
Reviews in Amsterdam related to F&B reveal that “Drink” and “Beer” are the third and fourth most discussed topics. Beer itself records a very high Sentiment Score, just behind Coffee, as evidenced below.
Where to stay in Amsterdam: The most reviewed hotels in the Dutch capital
Without a doubt, tourism in Amsterdam is steadfast, but where are visitors staying? Let’s look at the most reviewed hotels and accommodation properties over the last six months.
Of the most reviewed hotels, Hotel Casa Amsterdam and Motel One, recorded a solid overall Sentiment Score, illustrating a positive guest experience. On the other hand, hotels like the Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Center show a more moderate Sentiment Score (78.8/100), revealing that guests were not completely satisfied by their experience.
What do guests complain about during their hotel stay?
- Cost and price
- Poor internet connection and services
- Reservation, booking, payment and check-out issues
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