In 2023, the museums subsidised by the Flemish Government attracted more than 4.8 million visitors. Since 2021, museum visits have been on the rise. Statistics Flanders revealed some numbers. 

The number of museum visits fell sharply in 2020 as a result of the measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Flemish museums were temporarily closed in both the spring and autumn of 2020. In 2021, the museums were open all year round, but initially with strict sanitary measures, restrictions on visitor numbers and a ban on group visits. 

As a result, the increase in visitor numbers in 2021 remained limited. In 2023, more museum visits were registered for the first time than before the COVID-19 crisis.

2023

In 2023, national museums accounted for 58% of the total number of museum visits, regional museums for 12% and cultural heritage institutions for 29%. 

Compared to 2022, the share of visits to cultural heritage institutions increased from 9% to 29%, while the share of visits to national museums decreased from 79% to 58%. These changes are largely the result of a shift of Musea Brugge from national museums to cultural heritage institutions.

In 2019, a number of changes were made to the division of museums. For example, a number of new museums were classified at the national level. In addition, from 2019 onwards, the Flemish level is also responsible for the operating subsidies of the regionally classified museums, which is why the number of visitors to these museums has since been included in the figures included here. 

These changes explain the sharp increase in the total number of visitors in 2019.

About the research

The statistics originate from the Department of Culture, Youth and Media (CJM)

‘Nationally classified museums’ are: Design Museum, DIVA, FotoMuseum Antwerp, Hof van Busleyden, Huis van Alijn, Industriemuseum (formerly ‘MIAT’), M, Museum Aan de Stroom (visitors only to museum rooms, not to the promenade), Fashion Museum Antwerp, Musea Brugge, Mu.Zee, Museum Dr. Guislain, Museum In Flanders Fields, Museum Plantin-Moretus, Museum of Fine Arts (Ghent), Bokrijk Open Air Museum, Middelheim Open Air Museum for Sculpture, Provincial Gallo-Roman Museum, Red Star Line Museum, Antwerp Art Museums Collaboration, Sportimonium, STAM and Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (SMAK).

‘Cultural heritage institutions’ are: Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) and Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (MuHKA). The KMSK was closed between 2011 and 2021 and reopened its doors at the end of 2022.

‘Regionally classified museums are’: Ten Duinen Abbey Museum, Bakery Museum, The World of Kina, Eperon d’Or, Felixart, Hasselt Jenever Museum, Cart Museum, Koers, MMP 1917, Hasselt Fashion Museum, Maaseik Museums, Turnhout Museums, Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum, Deinze and Leie Region Museum, Flemish Franciscan Friars Minor Museum, Museum for Older Techniques, Navigo, Parcum, Toy Museum, Sint-Niklaas Municipal Museums, Texture and Yper Museum.

Quality comments

For museum visitors, this only concerns visitors to the museum rooms. Visitors also come into contact with the collection in many other ways: in other parts of the building or location, extra muros (travelling exhibitions, on-site exhibitions, etc.), digital visits, workshops, educational activities, participatory projects, consultation of the collection, etc. In consultation with the sector and FARO, the Flemish support centre for cultural heritage, work is therefore being done on a more differentiated way of registering visitors and users.

In 2019, a number of adjustments were made to the museums. For example, a number of new museums were classified at the national level (DIVA, Hof van Busleyden, Red Star Line and a number of Bruges museums). 

Since then, Flanders has also been responsible for the operating subsidies of the regionally classified museums (authority taken over from the provinces), which is why the number of visitors to these museums has since been included in the figures.

Museum visitors do not concern unique participants/visitors but the number of visits. The same person who goes to the museum or the film two or more times is therefore also counted two or more times in the figures.

Some tourism statistics

• Belgium sees modest tourism growth in 2024, led by Flanders and Brussels.
• 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.