Belgium’s tourism industry showed signs of solid recovery and stability in 2024, with a total of nearly 45 million overnight stays recorded across the country. 

According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, this marks a modest increase of 0.4% compared to 2023, amounting to approximately 194,000 additional overnight stays. 

Meanwhile, Flanders emerged as the driving force behind national tourism growth, with fresh figures from Tourism Flanders indicating the region welcomed 14.9 million holidaymakers from both home and abroad, an increase of 3% over the previous year.

Hotels and holiday homes see modest gains

Hotels across Belgium recorded a 1.3% rise in overnight stays, while gîtes, holiday homes and apartments saw a 1.6% increase. In the Flemish Region specifically, holiday homes and short-stay accommodation performed particularly well, growing by 4.5%. 

However, not all accommodation types fared equally. Holiday centres and villages saw a decline of 4.4%, and bed and breakfasts dropped by 2.4%. 

Flanders outperforms, Wallonia declines

Regionally, the Brussels-Capital Region reported the strongest growth at 3.5%, followed by Flanders with a 0.6% increase. Wallonia was the only region to register a decline, with a 2.4% decrease in overnight stays.

Of the 44.9 million overnight stays nationwide, 62.9% occurred in Flanders, underscoring the region’s central role in Belgium’s tourism sector. Wallonia accounted for 20.7% of stays, while Brussels made up 16.4%. 

Summer travel remains dominant

July and August remained peak months for travel, with over 6 million overnight stays each—together representing more than a quarter of the annual total.

Tourism in Flanders sees broad-based growth

Within Flanders, the recovery from the pandemic was particularly evident. The region reported 35.6 million overnight stays in commercial accommodations, with an average length of stay of 2.4 nights. 

The coastal areas and art cities saw a 2% rise in the number of visitors, while the more rural Flemish regions experienced a 3% increase. Of the 14.9 million visitors to Flanders, approximately 7 million were Belgian residents opting for holidays within their own country.

Strong demand from neighbouring countries and the United States

International interest in Flanders also continued to grow. Foreign tourist numbers rose by 5%, with particularly strong demand from neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands, France and Germany. 

Notably, the number of overnight stays booked by American tourists rose by 11% compared to the previous year, highlighting the region’s increasing global appeal.

Attractions and day trips draw nearly 24 million visitors

In addition to overnight tourism, Flanders recorded strong visitor numbers at cultural and recreational attractions. 

A total of 23.9 million people visited Flemish museums and attractions in 2024. Amusement parks, zoos and recreation parks remained the most popular, accounting for 41% of this total. 

Museums also continued to attract large numbers, welcoming 6.5 million visitors over the year.

December 2024 marks a strong year-end

December 2024 provided a strong close to the year, with 2.9 million overnight stays recorded nationwide—a 2% increase compared to December 2023. 

Hotels accounted for 59% of these, followed by gîtes and holiday apartments at 16%, and holiday parks at 12%. Regionally, Flanders saw a 2% rise in overnight stays during the month, while Brussels grew by 7%. 

Wallonia, however, experienced a 7% decline, partly due to calendar differences in public and school holidays across the linguistic communities.

A positive outlook for Belgian tourism

The Flemish Minister of Tourism, Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit), described the growth as a strong signal that tourism in Flanders is alive and well. 

With its rich cultural offerings, from world-renowned beer and chocolate traditions to museums, coastal resorts and vibrant cities, Flanders continues to establish itself as a top destination for both domestic and international travellers. 

The positive trends from 2024 offer renewed optimism for Belgium’s wider tourism industry moving forward.

Some tourism statistics

• Travel in 2024: Spain, France, USA, China, Mexico lose ground and Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE to grow market share.
• France, Spain, USA, China and Italy most visited countries in the world, Belgium 41st.
• France welcomed 100 million international visitors in 2024.
• Turkey welcomed 62 million international tourists who together spent $61 billion in 2024.
• SPAIN | 94 million international visitors and €108.7 billion tourism income in 2024.
• UN WORLD TOURISM BAROMETER | International tourism recovers pre-pandemic levels in 2024.
• Outside the EU, Europeans mostly travel to Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
• Intra-European travel mostly for fun and / or family.
• Europeans visit other European countries over 7 nights on average.