Corona: many tourist companies grab next to money from Stimulus program

The support center has received almost 850 applications, but less than 300 of them have been approved. This is apparent from data that Flemish Member of Parliament Loes Vandromme requested from Minister of Tourism Zuhal Demir (N-VA).

The Poperinge hotel managers Kris Pollentier and Carmen Logie also submitted an application for the Stimulus programme. Hoping for some financial help, they invested in an orangery, but were eventually told they won’t get the support. Kris Pollentier: “We made that application, we also started it, hoping for the stimulus money that we were going to receive. That did not come. If there had not been, we would not have started it either. But we have pushed through and we are happy with that now.”

Program is being evaluated

But their piggy bank is now almost empty. And on top of that comes the energy crisis. Many tourist businesses are concerned and hope to receive support from the government after all. “It’s a bit from one crisis to another crisis. We are now dealing with the energy crisis and it is also a major challenge for the tourism sector to get through it.”

In total, the Stimulus program has distributed 30 million euros, of which almost half for West Flemish tourism companies. “Even though a large part of the money went to West Flanders, it is still sour for the many applicants who did not use support,” says Loes Vandromme. At the end of this year, the Stimulus program will be evaluated and Minister Demir will look at how the existing support measures can be optimised. The final date for implementation of the files has already been postponed to the end of this year.