Analysis Of The Seasonal Demand Of Tourism In Amsterdam
Tourism is closely related to seasonality. People travel to different destinations for different purposes. The destination doesn’t have to be international. It could be a domestic trip for more than 40km or an international trip. It could be as long as one day to less than 364 nights. As long as it is a non-routine travel for less than a year, it is considered as tourism. (Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, 2017)
According to Butler, seasonality is “a temporal imbalance in the phenomenon of tourism, which may be expressed in terms of dimensions of such elements as numbers of visitors, expenditure of visitors, traffic on highways and other forms of transportation, employment, and admissions to attractions. ” (Butler, 1994) It creates peak and off-peak seasons which causes demand variations. This will be discussed later in the paper about seasonality of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the Capital of the Netherlands. It is in the top ten most important commercial centres in the world, where everyone wants to go and a modern city with a practical outlook of Dutch. It is not only a top attraction for leisure activities but also a popular destination for conventions and conferences. It hosts an average of 650 meetings per year and brings 700,000 business visitors to Amsterdam. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the seasonal demand of tourism in Amsterdam as well as how its DMO addresses seasonality.
Causes and Impacts of Seasonality
It is measured in natural and institutional aspects. Natural seasonality factors are temporary natural phenomenon which may include sunlight, rainfall, snowfall, and temperature, etc. Institutionalized factors depend on consumer behaviour and their decisions. It may be the time of holidays, visitors’ income, demand, etc. Sometimes, a natural phenomenon also affects consumers’ decision. For example, if the visitor is from a very cold country, he/she may wish to travel to a warmer destination during winter. Religious, cultural and social factors may also affect the travelling time and location.
For instance, if the tourist is Christian or Catholic, he/she may choose to go to a destination that is famous for their churches. An example of cultural factors would be PyeongChang Olympic. This is an international event so tourists from all around the world go to this event to support their own countries. (Commons and Page, 2001) Seasonality brings both positive and negative impacts on the tourism industry. First of all, products are perishable which means they only have a limited lifetime. They can’t be stored over the season. (Commons and Page 2001) Another issue is unstable employment since the businesses only available seasonal, employees don’t get a job during the off-peak season. Their job is not secure and they need to find a way to support their livelihood. This could also cause businesses having trouble recruiting since the job is not secure. The recruitment cost will also be much higher than a normal job. (Commons & Page 2001; Goulding, Baum & Morrison 2004) However, this is a great option for people who are aiming to find a part-time job because seasonal jobs are generally more casual and flexible. (Krakover 2000; Witt & Moutinho 1995) It also gives attractions a break to undergo maintenance and renovation so they can be in their best condition when they are open to the public again. (Witt & Moutinho 1995) Amsterdam’s Seasonal Tourism Demand Tourism in Amsterdam is growing rapidly. It is famous for its festivals, museums, theatres, bars, etc. (I Amsterdam)
The Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) of Amsterdam is called I Amsterdam. According to the organization, the ‘I Amsterdam’ phrase is “an introduction, a slogan, a statement of inclusion and a physical icon…the city’s and its residents’ collective catchphrase. ” It means everyone in Amsterdam are happy, no matter residents or tourists. I Amsterdam not provides information about Amsterdam to leisure travellers, it also gives people details about holding meetings and conventions as well as reasons why they should choose Amsterdam. It also tells people what it’s like to live, work, and study in Amsterdam. (I Amsterdam) People can tell from the information why this is such a popular destination. The following section discusses the seasonal tourism trends of Amsterdam with statistics.
As shown in the table, 3rd quarter is the peak season since it has the most tourists and 70% of hotel rooms are occupied. Amsterdam’s tourism peak season is usually during the summer, especially in August. Most tourists stay for at least 2 nights which is the longest during the year. However, according to City of Amsterdam, although the annual arrivals total during 2007 is higher than 2006, there is a slightly declined of visitors in 2007. During peak season, Amsterdam hotels are fully booked. When comparing to other European countries, only London as a higher room occupancy rate than Amsterdam in 2007. (T. Fedorova, n. d. , p. 3)
In contrast to the 4th quarter of the year, Amsterdam has the least tourists and lowest room occupancy rate during winter. Since Amsterdam is known for its gorgeous views but daytime is very short during winter so it is not ideal for sightseeing tourists. It also has many famous gardens. However, flowers don’t bloom during winter. Due to these reasons, tourists generally prefer travelling to Amsterdam during summer.
