Untypical Easter holidays attract fewer tourists to the sea

The coast has recorded a 20 percent decrease in tourist overnight stays compared to last year, when the Easter holiday lasted a day longer. A drop of 15 percent was recorded in online hotel bookings. With an occupancy of 85 percent, the night before Easter remains the peak, but a drop of 10 percent was also recorded during the Easter weekend. The mild weather resulted in many extra bookings at the last minute.

Spring break

For the first time, the spring holidays in French-speaking Belgium no longer coincide with the Easter holidays in Flanders and they feel that on the coast. This Easter holiday, French-speaking Belgians account for 20 percent of overnight stays, while in 2022 this was still 34 percent. For the period between April 29 and May 16, the tourist rental offices are already counting a larger number of reservations from French-speaking Belgians.

Holiday destination for four seasons

According to Westtoer, the coast has increasingly developed into a holiday destination for the four seasons in recent years. Two thirds of the tourism turnover was therefore realized outside the summer season. “Westtoer and the tourism sector on the coast are discussing the various aspects of the new holiday spread. The tourism sector is already looking forward to the extended weekends later in the spring and the spring holidays of the French-speaking Belgians,” says Sabien Lahaye -Battheu, deputy and chairman of Westtoer.