I turned 45 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…
Tag: Airbnb
Italy welcomes more than 185 million visitors as tourism surges 7.1% in record year 2025
Italy’s tourism industry reached another historic milestone in 2025, with more than 185 million arrivals recorded across the country as international demand for Italian culture, cities, beaches and cuisine continued to grow strongly. New figures from the Italian Interior Ministry’s ‘Alloggiati Web’ system show that total arrivals increased by 7.1% compared with 2024, rising from…
NORWAY | Tourism breaks record with 40.6 million guest nights in 2025
Tourism in the Kingdom of Norway reached new heights in 2025 and continued growing into early 2026, as rising numbers of international travellers headed north for fjords, mountain landscapes, Arctic adventures and cooler summer temperatures. The country recorded its strongest tourism year ever, driven particularly by foreign visitors, with hotels, camping sites and holiday accommodation…
Tourism Flanders tightens Airbnb rules to protect housing for singles
Flemish Deputy Minister-President of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister of Housing, Energy and Climate, Tourism and Youth Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) is tightening the rules for Airbnb accommodations, stating that homes intended for single occupants are increasingly being used as tourist accommodation.
SOUTH KOREA | Five days in Seoul
Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city…
City of Antwerp prepares crackdown on Airbnb growth amid complaints in Sint-Andries
The City of Antwerp is taking steps to limit the expansion of Airbnb properties in the city, as local authorities respond to increasing complaints from residents and growing concerns about the impact on housing availability.
Tourism Flanders to tackle illegal Airbnb accommodations amidst housing shortage reality
Holiday accommodations will soon need to submit a conformity certificate from their local council before they can be recognized by Tourism Flanders (Toerisme Vlaanderen). The Flemish Government is strengthening its oversight in a bid to reduce the number of illegal short-term rentals, which includes a growing number of Airbnb accomodations, the world’s favourite tourism villain…
Belgians book Asia, vintage travel and boutique hotels for spring and summer 2025
Overtourism? Inflation? Worrying world events? What are those? According to the Association of Flemish Travel Agencies or Vereniging Vlaamse Reisbureaus (VVR) Belgians have already booked more holidays in 2025 compared to the same period last year.
SPAIN | 94 million international visitors and €108.7 billion tourism income in 2024
Spain‘s tourism industry experienced an unprecedented year in 2024, breaking records with 94 million international visitors. The country is a prime example of an area struggling with overtourism. Vilified by citizens, but a major pillar of the economy and the welfare and prosperity of the kingdom.
2025: Overtourism overdose?
On 1 January 2024 we wrote about how rising prices affect travel. Not only the price of flights, but also the price of activities. Pricing was a topic the year before, 2023. In 2024, conventional and social media dug into the issue of overtourism. Articles about locals protesting, Instagrammers posting about big crowds in Japan…