The number of overnight stays in Belgian tourist accommodations amounted to 1,566,808 in January 2022. On a national level, most overnight stays were in holiday homes (17%) and hotels (56%).
Compared to January 2021[1] , this is 249% more overnight stays. In hotels, the number of overnight stays increased by 213%. If we compare with 2020, there is however a decrease of 17% in general, and of 31% for hotels.
In the Walloon Region, there were 397,231 overnight stays, which corresponds to an increase of 188% compared to January 2021. In the Flemish and Brussels-Capital Regions, 948,645 and 220,932 overnight stays were recorded respectively, which is an increase of 277% and 274% respectively compared to January 2021. The Flemish Region and the Brussels-Capital Region both register decreases compared to January 2020, of 11% and 56% respectively. In the Walloon Region, there is an increase of 18% compared to January 2020.
Remarks
Holiday parks and camping sites had to close from 3 November 2020 to 7 February 2021. Hotels and B&Bs could stay open, but restaurants and bars had to close. Meals had to be taken in the room.
As of 8 February, holiday villages and camping sites were allowed to reopen but their pools, common indoor areas and facilities such as restaurants and bars had to remain closed.
On 8 May 2021, outdoor cafés were allowed to reopen, and from 9 June 2021 horeca inside was also allowed.
Swimming pools were allowed to reopen on 8 May 2021. In practice, this was often not (yet) the case in holiday parks due to the 1.5 metre rule.
Camps and school trips with overnight stays have not been allowed up to and including June 2021.
Indoor playgrounds and subtropical swimming pools and recreational parts of swimming pools had to close from 26 December 2021 to 27 January 2022. This had an impact on the holiday parks.
Sports camps were only allowed to take place without overnight stays from 26 December 2021.
Exceptionally, figures for youth hostels and for bed and breakfasts are only available on a national level for the months of January, February and May and on a regional level for March, April and June 2021.
[1] When interpreting the evolution between the same months of consecutive years, it is important to take into account the differences in the number of holidays, school holidays or weekends between these two months.