As fuel price burdens grow due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East, a trend of "gas trips," in which people cross borders in Europe to buy cheaper fuel, is spreading.
According to the Netherlands Times on the 3rd, more Dutch drivers have recently been crossing into Germany to fill up. After the German government cut fuel taxes starting at dawn on the 1st, prices fell by about 10 cents per liter.
With this measure, the gasoline price gap between the Netherlands and Germany has widened to about 30 cents per liter. Calculations show that filling up in Germany can save more than 10 euros in expense at a time.
The German government decided to implement the fuel tax cut temporarily for two months, expecting an average price reduction of about 17 cents per liter and a total relief effect of 1.6 billion euros.
The larger the price difference, the farther drivers are willing to travel. Netherlands researcher Jannine van Leken-van Bee said in a past analysis that as the price gap widened, about 15% of gasoline consumption in the southern border region shifted to Belgium.
This "tank tourism" phenomenon is also affecting gas stations in border areas. A gas station operator near the Dutch border said, "For about the next two months, we will see fewer customers," adding, "Some customers are already delaying refueling while waiting for Germany's price cut."