The number of Dutch Muslim pilgrims planning to make a trip to Mecca this year has almost halved because of the economic crisis, Trouw reports on Wednesday.

The 16 travel agencies which specialise in bookings to Mecca get a total of 5,000 visas a year from Saudi Arabia to allow Dutch Muslims to make the journey.

An all-in trip costs between €3,500 and €5,000 each and some agencies still have half their visa allocation left, Trouw said.

The traditional Hajj takes place in mid-October.