ravellers from Flanders are increasingly avoiding destinations in the Middle East due to ongoing conflict, opting instead for locations in southern Europe and parts of Africa. Countries such as Spain and Portugal are seeing a notable rise in bookings, alongside destinations including Tunisia and Senegal.
Tag: Dubai
Antwerp holds on to ‘Diamond City’ image as global trade continues to contract
Even as Antwerp’s diamond trade suffers one of the most severe downturns in its modern history, the City of Antwerp continues to promote diamonds as a cornerstone of its identity and a key tourist attraction. Through Visit Antwerpen, the city presents itself as the world’s Diamond City, inviting visitors to discover a thriving, prestigious sector…
Brussels Airport summer flight schedule: 180 non-stop destinations served by 70 airlines, 8 new routes and 5 new airlines
Brussels Airport kicks off the summer season on 29 March 2026 with an offer of direct flights to 180 destinations. Travellers can choose from eight new destinations this summer, both within and outside Europe.
Osaka wins, Brussels is 42nd: 2025 Yanolja Attractiveness Index for tourism
In 2025, Osaka in Japan has claimed the top spot in the Yanolja Attractiveness Index, overtaking Kyoto, also in Japan, (#3) and surpassing long-established tourism powerhouses such as Paris in France (#2), New York in the United States (#4), and Seoul in South Korea (#5).
QATAR | Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha
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…
REVIEW | Qatar Airways – economy – Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – Brussels to Doha
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…
UPDATE | 65 countries where gay sex is illegal in 2025
The tally of countries with anti-homosexuality laws has again risen to 65 with last month’s official publication of a homophobic new penal code in Mali in West Africa, Erasing 76 Crimes reports. This means that in January 2025, 65 countries (and other entities) criminalise gay sex.
Dubai: embracing the artificial
With nearly 17 million visitors in 2023 Dubai is the third most visited city in the world. I am a regular viewer of the European edition of CNN, a channel on which Dubai is often promoted as a tourist destination. This and my urge to travel to new places brought me to Dubai. It’s a…
ANTWERP | Jewelry Days on 30 November and 1 December 2024
Coming weekend, the Antwerp Diamond Exchange is hosting the Jewelry Days, aimed at promoting the diamond and jewelry market in Antwerp.
FLEVOLAND | Lelystad
From December 2024, the Benelux train Brussels in Belgium to Amsterdam in the Netherlands will not terminate at Amsterdam Central Station, but at Amsterdam South (Zuid). There the Brusselaar or Amsterdammer will become a domestic train to Lelystad. An excuse for Danny and I to travel all the way to the province of Flevoland to…