Tourists to Netherlands rise 4% in 2013

More than 12.7 million foreign tourists visited the Netherlands in 2013, which is an increase of 4 percent compared to 2012, the Dutch Board for Tourism (NBTC) announced Monday. Figures of 2013 also showed that more and more Russians and Chinese are discovering the Netherlands as a holiday destination. The number of Russian tourists increased by 20 percent to nearly 200,000. The number of Chinese tourists increased by 18 percent to nearly 225,000. Foreign tourists accounted for a total of 31.6 million overnight stays, which is 7 percent more than in 2012, NBTC said in a statement. The Netherlands benefited from the many cultural events that took place last year, such as the reopening of the Rijksmuseum, NBTC added. In addition, the warm summer attracted more tourists, especially from neighboring countries like Germany and Belgium.