The foreign engine of growth region Brainport
Brainport Eindhoven is developing into one of the engines of the Dutch economy, driven by a thriving local business community with plenty of employment opportunities. It is a region that continues to grow. Meanwhile, this region has plenty of foreign workers and of these, many tens of thousands more will be needed in the coming years. This group as well as international students know how to find Southeast Brabant. Eindhoven Airport plays a role for these internationals in several areas.
International region With over 67,000 inhabitants of foreign origin, Brainport Eindhoven-per number of inhabitants relative to the national average-is the region with the highest number of internationals in the Netherlands (figures 2021: Brainport Development + figures NVM). Two years earlier, the municipality of Eindhoven alone counted nearly twenty thousand working internationals (2019 figures: municipality of Eindhoven). They are mainly active in the high-tech sector, manufacturing industry, logistics, agriculture and horticulture or at agricultural or food processing companies.
Good accessibility Good international accessibility is one of the factors that is important for the settlement climate of new residents. For many foreign workers - mainly from Europe - Eindhoven Airport is a gateway to the region. With its wide network of connections to various countries in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, for example, the airport contributes to Brainport's good accessibility.
Family Visit Many internationals from the region use the airport. Work and contact with loved ones from the home country or with family and friends living elsewhere in Europe are important reasons for this. This is evident from Markteffect's November 2022 traveler survey commissioned by the airport. Take, for example, travelers to Eastern European destinations, which last year accounted for one-third of the total number of travelers to and from Eindhoven. Over 48 percent of these travelers give visiting friends and family as their reason for flying, some 33 percent have a tourist travel motive and 18 percent fly from/to Eindhoven because of work. In comparison, of all travelers at all destinations from Eindhoven Airport, about 43 percent travel because of tourist travel motive, 40 percent because of visiting friends/family and about 17 percent because of work.
Feeling at home Besides accessibility, Eindhoven Airport also contributes to the attractiveness of the region as a place of business for internationals. The airport believes that they should really feel at home in the region and tries to contribute to this through partnerships with PSV, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, Van Gogh National Park, GLOW and the Dutch Design Week, for example. The focus here is on activities that also match the needs and experiences of internationals.