European holiday regions that are popular with Dutch families arriving by car, may see a decline in arrivals from 2030 onwards.

In that year, the Dutch government will change ‘road pricing’ and introduce a kilometer tax for Dutch citizens who own a car. A car holiday abroad will therefore become more expensive for Dutch car owners. At this moment all Dutch motorists pay road tax, but a tax based on the numbers of kilometers driven is more fair. This measure will certainly have an influence on the number of motoring holidays in Europe as the tax will also apply for road trips taken outside Holland. Although the exact amount of the kilometer charge has yet to be determined, it is expected that an amount of around 7.5 cents per kilometer driven will be levied. This means that a car holiday to a destination 750 kilometers away (e.g. the Black Forest in Germany) will become 110 euros more expensive, and a car holiday to a destination 1,500 kilometers away (e.g. Tuscany) will be 220 euros more expensive, based on today’s petrol prices. As a result, holidaymakers may be encouraged to take the plane instead of the car or choose for a destination closer at home.

At this stage, it is impossible to say how many holidaymakers will make the switch from car to plane: this depends, among other things, on how high the kilometer tax will be exactly and also whether there will be a difference in tax between electric cars and cars with a combustion engine. The government now assumes an equal amount for everyone, but that can still change.

Cost of motoring holiday will increase for Dutch motoristst from 2030 onwards

CO2 emissions will increase if more holidaymakers exchange the car for the plane, and it is feared that the Dutch government could counter this effect by further increasing the flight tax.

“In the case of a switch from car to plane, this will usually lead to an increase in CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions increase by approximately 60 percent if an average car holiday with an average occupancy rate of 3.4 people is replaced by a flying holiday to the same destination,” it is stated in the research report.

Introduction kilometer charge

The government will introduce a kilometer charge in 2030 because the treasury will miss out on tax due to the rise of electric cars. Moreover, that system would be fairer, by paying for use instead of ownership. The number of kilometers will probably be tracked on the basis of the odometer that is in each car, but a solution has yet to be found for its susceptibility to fraud.