Insights into train travel to the Netherlands
Encouraging international visitors to choose the train over the car or plane is an important step towards more sustainable tourism. In an international study, NBTC and partners explore motivations, barriers and opportunities related to train travel to the Netherlands. These insights help guide policy towards more sustainable mobility.
Understanding barriers and opportunities
For the first time, the motivations, barriers and opportunities about international train travel to the Netherlands have been studied in four key source markets. Residents from Belgium, Germany, France and the United Kingdom provided insights into their transport choices when travelling to the Netherlands.
These insights are crucial for more effective steering towards sustainable travel behaviour. They help governments, marketing organisations, policymakers and transport partners to develop targeted strategies and campaigns that encourage train travel.
Target groups and research methodology
The research focuses on overnight visitors from four countries and combines quantitative data with qualitative insights. Only residents from regions and cities with potential for train travel to the Netherlands were included. The results are therefore not nationally representative. The research concerns overnight visitors who have recently travelled to the Netherlands for work or a holiday, or those who intend to do so in the near future. Day trippers were excluded.
NBTC conducted the research in cooporation with Eurostar, amsterdam&partners, Almere City Marketing, The Hague & Partners, Utrecht Marketing and London St. Pancras Highspeed.
Sustainable mobility and future-proof tourism
By better understanding why travellers do or do not choose the train, strategies and campaigns can be more effectively deployed. In this way, the research contributes to the transition towards more sustainable tourism, with lower CO₂ emissions and greater focus on accessibility by rail. This knowledge aligns with Perspective 2030, in which sustainable mobility and future-proof tourism are central themes.
Key results in a compact summary
The full research report is not publicly available. Therefore, NBTC has compiled a compact summary containing the most important insights. It presents motivations, barriers and opportunities in a clear and accessible way. As a policymaker, advisor or marketer, you can immediately apply these insights to promote international train travel to the Netherlands and make concrete steps towards sustainable mobility.
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Insights into train travel to the Netherlands
This summary outlines the motivations and barriers international travellers experience when choosing to travel by train.
Download the summary