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: Italy
ITA Airways officially joins Star Alliance
Star Alliance officially welcomed ITA Airways as its newest member, marking the completion of the Italian carrier’s integration into the world’s largest airline alliance.
BELGIUM | Overtourism already an issue… in 1926
Complaints about overcrowding, disruptive visitors and pressure on cities may feel like a distinctly modern problem, associated with places such as Venice in Italy, Barcelona in Spain or Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Yet Belgium experienced remarkably similar tensions a century ago, when a surge in foreign visitors sparked widespread unease among local residents.
Flanders welcomed over 15 million visitors in 2025
Flanders is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination. In 2025, an estimated 15.4 million people visited the region, marking a 3% increase compared to 2024, according to provisional figures from Visit Flanders (Toerisme Vlaanderen). The number of overnight stays also rose to 36.3 million.
Trenitalia / FS Group advances Paris hub to power European high-speed expansion, looking at Belgium and the Netherlands for the future
Italian state-backed Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS or FS Group) is accelerating its expansion into Europe’s high-speed rail market, confirming plans for a major maintenance hub in the Paris region that will underpin its growing operations in France and support future services to London in the United Kingdom.
EU survey reveals large majority of citizens would swap planes for high-speed trains to travel in Europe
A recent European Union survey, made public on 1 July 2025, shows that a large majority of European citizens would like to travel faster and more easily between European countries, preferring to travel by high-speed rail instead of flying.
European Sleeper pushes Brussels–Cologne–Zurich–Milan night train to 9 September 2026
The Dutch–Belgian cooperative European Sleeper has postponed the launch of its new Brussels–Cologne–Zurich–Milan night train to 9 September 2026, instead of the previously announced 18 June 2026. Ticket sales will open on 17 March 2026. The company states that the delay is primarily due to extensive infrastructure works in Germany and Switzerland, combined with the…
BRUSSELS AIRPORT | 24.4 million passengers in 2025, 3.3% more than in 2024, cargo grows by 8.5% with 795,000 tonnes of freight
24.4 million passengers travelled through Brussels Airport in Zaventem in 2025, an increase of 3.3% compared to 2024, the press release says.
ILGA-EUROPE | Europe reaches new low as LGBTQIA+ people face renewed criminalisation
From Pride bans in the European Union to prosecutions under ‘propaganda’ and ‘extremism’ laws, a new report from ILGA-Europe shows that attacks on LGBTQIA+ communities have evolved into systemic suppression of dissent and individual freedoms.
Trenitalia unveils €2 billion investment plan and orders 74 new Frecciarossa high-speed trains
Trenitalia is accelerating towards 2030 with a major €2 billion investment programme aimed at strengthening its leadership in high-speed rail and transforming Italy’s passenger rail sector. Gianpiero Strisciuglio, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Trenitalia, outlined the strategy at the Forum Masseria Winter Edition, confirming the purchase of up to 74 new Frecciarossa 1000…