Skip to content

Debit card figures: more outings to culture, entertainment and hospitality

Published on:

Since most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, people have been going out more often than before the pandemic. This is reflected in the number of debit card payments in the culture, entertainment and hospitality sectors in March and April.

Young couple enthusiastically enjoys a fast-paced fairground ride, waving and laughing as the background fades into colorful motion.

Culture, entertainment and hospitality were hit hardest during the various lockdowns, with falls of up to 90% in the number of debit card payments compared with the same months in 2019. In April, however, visitors made 37% more debit card payments in culture and entertainment than in April 2019. In March, the number of debit card payments in hospitality was 25% higher than three years earlier.

In April, 445 million debit card payments were made at the point of sale, a new all-time monthly record. The previous monthly record was October 2021, with 439 million transactions. The previous April record, set in 2019, was 380 million transactions. The value of debit card payments totalled €12 billion last month, just short of an all-time monthly record. In April 2019, the value was €9.53 billion. In 2020 and 2021, the April value was lower than in 2019.

The chart below shows the trend in the number of debit card payments in the Culture & Entertainment and Hospitality sectors since 1 January 2020. Each calendar month is compared with the same month in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. For comparison, the chart also shows trends for supermarkets and the total number of debit card payments. Supermarkets were least affected by the COVID-19 restrictions.

Chart showing trends in debit card payments in different sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More debit card figures are available on PIN.NL.

Related articles