Experience

ANTWERP | Record 15.8 million day tourists, 2.7 million overnight stays in 2024

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With 15.8 million day tourists in 2024, the City of Antwerp recorded an increase of 10.6% compared to 2023. Stay-over tourism increased by 6% to 2.7 million overnight stays, a new record for Antwerp.

The increase in the number of day tourists is noticeable among both domestic and foreign visitors. However, the biggest driving force behind this growth is the international day tourists, who show an increase of 23%. 

This has significantly changed the share of international day tourists compared to national day tourists: from 23% in 2023 to 31% in 2024. Another positive aspect is that the international day tourist stays in the city for an average of 6 hours, which is 1 hour and 15 minutes longer than the national day tourist.

International day tourists mainly come from our neighbouring countries. The Netherlands is in first place with 45% of all international day visitors, followed by Germany with 9% and Spain with 5%. The United Kingdom and France complete the top 5. 

It is striking that the origin of international day tourists is becoming increasingly varied. Some countries in the top 15 show big jumps, such as Italy with an increase of 58%, Portugal with an increase of 102% and Austria even 360%. ​

Five of the ten busiest days in 2024 took place in December. Christmas shopping and Winter in Antwerp attracted many visitors. The absolute peak day in 2024 was 28 December, with 87,400 visitors.

Alderman for Tourism Koen Kennis (N-VA): “As Antwerp residents, we are lucky to live in the most beautiful city in the universe. The annual tourist figures prove that more and more people from outside Antwerp think the same and want to discover our beautiful city. 2024 turned out to be a real record year with, among other things, strong increases in the number of day tourists, the number of overnight stays and business tourism at conferences. Our many assets, including the countless delicious eateries, pleasant shopping streets and beautiful hotels, are clearly appreciated.”

New record for residential tourism

The number of overnight stays again achieved a new record and exceeded the figure for 2023. According to the official figures from the Federal Public Service Economy, 2.7 million overnight stays were registered in 2024, which is 6% more than in 2023, which was also a top year.

The origin of the residential tourists shows the same ratio as last year, with more foreign (64.7%) than domestic tourists. 

The Dutch market was the most strongly represented with 35.8%, followed by Germany (12.4%) and the United Kingdom (7.4%). The top 5 is completed by Spain (5.3%) and the United States (5.1%).

The growth of residential tourism is mainly driven by recreational tourism and partly by the MICE segment. Recreational tourism accounts for 65% of all overnight stays. However, business individual tourism is struggling due to economic conditions. ​

The occupancy rate in Antwerp hotels remained the same as in 2023 and will be 68.8% in 2024. Given the expansion of the hotel supply in Antwerp, this is a remarkable achievement. The average day room price follows the economic conditions and amounts to € 120.60 this year, an increase of € 3.90.

Didier Boehlen, chairman of the Antwerp Hotel Association: “The strong results of 2024 show that Antwerp is further strengthening its position as a versatile destination. The growing recreational and MICE tourism proves that our city is not only attractive to tourists, but is also ready for new opportunities and challenges in a changing market. We look forward to breaking the magic barrier of 70% occupancy in the coming year.”

In addition to hotels, tourists are also increasingly opting for alternative accommodation options. 

Campsites are increasingly used as a stopover by foreign tourists who stay for one night, often with a visit to the historic city centre or a concert at the Sportpaleis. This year, a total of 8,200 camping overnight stays were booked (8,000 in 2023), mainly with German (35%), Dutch (23%) and Belgian guests (18%).

MICE?

The rise of MICE tourism confirms Antwerp as an international host city

Antwerp sees a 3.6% increase in overnight stays with MICE motives. MICE stands for meetings, incentives, conferences & events. 

This confirms the city’s position as an attractive conference destination. The first figures show that corporate events play a dominant role (94.2%), while associations or trade unions account for 5.8%. 

The importance of associations has increased slightly compared to 2023 (an increase of 2.3%). Thanks to Antwerp Convention Bureau’s proactive approach, the further development of the association market offers great potential. The largest share of participants in multi-day events who stay overnight in the city comes from Belgium (44%), followed by the Netherlands (17%), Germany (7%) and France (5%). These figures underline Antwerp’s role as a host city for international meetings and conferences.

However, the share of individual business travellers has fallen by 12.8% compared to 2023. 

These are travellers who travel alone or with a small group for business purposes, without being part of an organised group or event. The decline is attributed to ongoing changes in travel behaviour, such as cost savings and meetings taking place online.

Tadeja Pivc-Coudyser, CEO of Antwerp Convention Bureau: “We are delighted to see an increase in MICE overnight stays in Antwerp, reflecting the city’s growing reputation as a top meeting destination. Thanks to a professional, tailor-made service, Antwerp ensures an accessible and personal experience for these visitors under the motto ‘The city is your venue’. By stimulating cooperation and knowledge exchange, the city creates added value for business travelers, organizations and local residents. These figures not only demonstrate Antwerp’s ability to organise world-class business events, but also reinforce its position as a leading hub for innovation and collaboration in the global MICE industry.”

Fewer visitors to churches, more to museums

The number of visitors to Antwerp’s monumental churches was 445,000, a decrease of 27%. This decrease is mainly due to the introduction of a fee-based entrance fee to the St. Charles Borromeo Church. The church has had a new reception desk since last year and works with a guide who is present every day. The St. Charles Borromeo Church also wants to launch a new audio guide by the end of February. ​

Last year, Antwerp’s museums welcomed more than 2.6 million visitors. The city’s museums attracted more than 1.9 million visitors, a nice increase that was made possible by the James Ensor exhibitions and the Come Closer festival at the Middelheim Museum. This year, the Middelheim Museum is in the spotlight because of its 75th anniversary. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) remains an international icon with more than 500,000 visitors.

In 2024, 9,271 group tours were booked, with the majority still booked by Belgians. There has been a huge increase in the number of German tourists booking a tour. The most popular tour is the Palace on the Meir by Herita.

Antwerp attractions such as the Zoo, Stadsbrouwerij De Koninck and the Ruien received more than 1 million visitors together. The Ruien is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Record number of visitors for Het Steen visitor centre

The number of visitors to the tourist information desk in Het Steen reached a record high of 470,374 this year, an increase of 2.7% compared to last year. Including the visitors to the desk in Antwerp-Central Railway Station, the total number of visitors to the information desks amounts to 579,423. In the visitor centres, 61% of the visitors come from abroad and 39% of the visitors come from within the country, of which 21% from Antwerp itself.

The best-selling products in both visitor centres were the ATV Walking Rally and postcards from Galerie Frits. The Antwerp City Pass is now mainly sold online. 3 out of four passes are multi-day passes.

Increase in river cruises

In the past year, the cruise market showed further signs of recovery after years in which the pandemic almost completely shut down tourism. Antwerp welcomed a total of 903 river cruises, carrying 136,680 passengers, which represents an increase of 11% compared to 2023.

In terms of sea cruises, the city welcomed 23 cruise ships, carrying 17,539 passengers.

Prospects for 2025

2025 also promises to be a busy tourist year in Antwerp with, among other things:

Comment

December the busiest month of 2024? Yes, that was very visible. Trains to Antwerp were full, trains from Antwerp to visitors’ home were full of tipsy people. The Meir shopping street was almost as busy as Oxford Street in London! Well, perhaps not, but still, quite full. 

Is more better? Let’s not fall into the trap of overtourism.

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