Coast is the most popular destination for Belgian day tourists

In one year, from June 2021 to June 2022, Belgians made a total of 81 million day trips. Of those, nearly 18 million were to the coast.

The provincial company Westtoer, with the support of VISITFLANDERS, the Flemish provinces, vzw Kunststeden Vlaanderen and Visit Brussels, has conducted a study into day trips by Belgians to Flanders and Brussels. From June 2021 to June 2022, 3,000 Belgians were surveyed every two weeks about their day trips to Flanders and Brussels. This shows that the coast is by far the most popular destination for day tourists.

During that year, the researchers recorded 81 million day trips by Belgians to Flanders and Brussels. Of those, nearly 18 million are to the coast. The Art Cities (Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Mechelen and Leuven) and Brussels together account for 30 million day trips. The other 33 million day trips take place in the green Flemish regions. The research also shows that eight out of ten Belgians on a day trip come from Flanders itself, the other 20 percent come from French-speaking Belgium.

2.7 billion euros turnover

In addition, the study showed that day tourists generate a turnover of 2.7 billion euros. On average, a Belgian day tourist spends 32 euros during the day trip. Most of this goes to restaurants and cafes.

In addition to day tourists, there are also local recreationists: they do an activity outside their own municipality, but no further than twenty kilometers. During one year, the researchers recorded 55 million trips by environmental recreationists. Of these, 33 million trips take place in the green Flemish regions. Together, the Art Cities and Brussels account for nearly 20 million trips by environmental recreationists. In addition, there are just under two million trips by environmental recreationists to the coast.

The coast is especially popular with families with children and in the summer. Green regions are also visited mainly in the summer. Trips to the art cities and Brussels take place slightly more often than average in the spring.