Belgian coast happy with end-of-year visitor numbers

The tourism sector for the Belgian coast is pleased with the number of end-of-year visitors, citing some 1.8 million overnight stays during this period – about 6% more than last year. The most popular dates were New Year's Eve and the weekend between

By: xpats.com

Jan 08 2025
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Belgian coast happy with end-o

The tourism sector for the Belgian coast is pleased with the number of end-of-year visitors, citing some 1.8 million overnight stays during this period – about 6% more than last year.

The most popular dates were New Year's Eve and the weekend between Christmas and New Year, which saw an occupancy rate of around 70%.

Hotels in Ostend even recorded occupancy rates of up to 90% at the end of the year.

Some 550,000 day-trippers also visited the coast, including 60,000 over the weekend between Christmas and New Year.

Visitors came from Flanders (60%), Wallonia (25%) and abroad (15%).

Coastal municipalities aimed to attract visitors at the end of 2024 with a fireworks display in Koksijde, a light tunnel in Ostend, a winter wonderland experience in Nieuwpoort, a Scandinavian winter experience in Knokke-Heist and numerous activities in addition to the usual Christmas markets and traditional New Year's dip in the sea.

In Wallonia, the tourism sector also reported a good end-of-year period. Etienne Claude, director-general of Visit Wallonia, said he was "very satisfied" with the past two weeks.

“The holiday period has gone very well, with a significant increase in visitors and tourists,” Claude said, citing a combination of attractive activities and favourable weather conditions as contributors to the upturn.

Christmas markets, considered to be established "must-sees", drew crowds. Animal parks and amusement parks also saw record numbers of visitors, and Claude highlighted a growing interest in temporary exhibitions, which attracted many visitors.

Walks in the forest were a favourite choice for nature lovers who took advantage of the winter landscapes Wallonia has to offer, especially given snowfall during the last weekend of the holidays.

“The snow offered a variety of winter experiences that were very much appreciated, such as skiing and snowshoeing,” said Claude.

Accommodation in the French-speaking region was particularly busy, with occupancy rates approaching record levels - some B&Bs and hotels recorded an increase in occupancy of between 20% and 40% compared with last year.