HOLLAND, Mich. — Holland's hotels and attractions are navigating a slower start to 2026, with occupancy declines and softer crowds at local theme parks — but tourism leaders say they remain cautiously optimistic.
WATCH: Holland tourism sees mixed results amid gas prices, weather concerns
Hotels in the Holland area saw a decline in occupancy rates from February to April of this year compared to the same period last year, as higher gas prices and poor weather weighed on travel.
Nelis' Dutch Village, a fourth-generation family-owned theme park, felt the effects firsthand. Owner Joe Nelis said 2025 had been a standout year.
"We kind of felt like we were hitting on all cylinders, and the tulips were fantastic last year, and the weather was great, and we had a great summer, and we felt really good at the end of the year," Nelis said.
But the park's 2026 season, which opened in mid-April, got off to a rougher start.
"We were expecting to see busier crowds in the pre-Tulip Time weekends, and the gas prices hit like right then, and it spiked from what, $3.79 up to like over $5 a gallon," Nelis said. "Since that week before Tulip Time, or whatever, we have seen things a little bit weaker this year than previous years."
Nelis said he believes multiple factors are to blame.
"The weather was a little yucky, but I definitely think tighter pocket books and gas prices are starting to have a little effect," Nelis said.
The broader Holland community has seen similar trends. Linda Hart, executive director of the Holland Visitors Bureau, said hotel occupancy dropped between 2% and 15% from February through April.
"We're going to attribute a lot of that to the weather," Hart said.
Hart said occupancy during Tulip Time in May also dipped to 83%, compared to 86% the previous year. However, Holland saw an increase of 16% in day-trippers during and around the festival, boosted by six weeks of tulip blooms.
Visitation also increased in the weeks leading up to the festival.
"The two weekends before Tulip Time, we had between a 6% and an 8% increase in visitation into our community, so people are still coming," Hart explained.
Despite the mixed results, Hart said survey data points to continued travel interest.
"90% of people who were surveyed, or who have been surveyed, still have plans to travel in the next six months," Hart said.
Hart acknowledged that travelers may adjust their habits — taking fewer trips, staying closer to home, or spending less. To help draw visitors, the bureau plans to launch a new addition to its mobile passport program.
"It's called the Free Summer Fun for Everyone, so it'll be up to 30 different activities or events or things to see or things to do that you can do in the greater Holland area," Hart explained.
At Nelis' Dutch Village, the park is also investing in new attractions to bring in visitors. The park recently added a new ride and is under construction on additional improvements.
The newest addition is the Tulip Tower, a ride designed in Austria and built in Germany — the first of its kind in Michigan, with only about 150 in existence worldwide. Even the tulips adorning the ride have an international story.
"The tulips that we have here, planted on the ground, and the one up at the top of the Tulip Tower, designed by a Dutch company and actually made in the Philippines," Nelis said.
Nelis said the park has more events planned for the summer, including the Knights of the Realm event on July 11 and 12.
"We made an investment in a new ride like this, and we're trying to just be a place where families can come and make great family memories," Nelis said.
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