42,512,847 overnight stays have been booked in Belgium in 2019. That is 3 % more than in 2018. This is what emerged from the new annual figures about tourist arrivals and overnight stays in Belgium from Statbel, the Belgian statistical office. Figures are published at the level of Belgium, regions and provinces.[1] These tables also show the countries of origin and the type of accommodation (hotel, holiday park, holiday home, etc.). The number of overnight stays has increased by 6 % in the Walloon Region and in the Brussels-Capital Region. The Flemish Region registered in 2019 a 1 % increase compared to 2018. One overnight stay out of two is booked in a hotel. Belgian residents account for half of all tourist overnight stays.
Overnight stays by region (2015-2019)
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belgium | 38,380,415 | 36,855,214 | 38,677,308 | 41,320,284 | 42,512,847 |
Flemish Region | 24,379,810 | 23,894,894 | 24,511,335 | 26,126,619 | 26,356,863 |
Walloon Region | 7,557,392 | 7,749,825 | 7,830,796 | 8,200,604 | 8,727,266 |
Brussels-Capital Region | 6,443,213 | 5,210,495 | 6,335,177 | 6,993,061 | 7,428,718 |
Overnight stays by Province (2015-2019)
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Province of Antwerp | 4,204,366 | 4,241,787 | 4,333,706 | 4,864,460 | 4,912,144 |
Province of Flemish Brabant | 2,017,825 | 1,843,751 | 2,030,847 | 2,295,796 | 2,348,709 |
Province of Walloon Brabant | 463,620 | 429,537 | 479,080 | 488,009 | 507,424 |
Province of West Flanders | 11,981,763 | 11,651,144 | 11,776,860 | 12,182,123 | 12,117,431 |
Province of East Flanders | 2,110,766 | 2,015,947 | 2,264,035 | 2,454,113 | 2,565,512 |
Province of Hainaut | 1,119,235 | 1,183,443 | 1,225,305 | 1,296,905 | 1,337,620 |
Province of Liège | 2,206,057 | 2,341,931 | 2,412,971 | 2,468,194 | 2,590,225 |
Province of Limburg | 4,065,090 | 4,142,265 | 4,105,887 | 4,330,127 | 4,413,067 |
Province of Luxembourg | 2,528,170 | 2,565,695 | 2,417,871 | 2,733,464 | 2,881,127 |
Province of Namur | 1,240,310 | 1,229,219 | 1,295,569 | 1,214,032 | 1,410,870 |
Half of the overnight stays in Belgium were booked in a hotel (49 %), followed by holiday homes[2] (16 %), holiday parks (13 %) and youth hostels (10 %). These proportions are practically the same as those of 2018.
Foreign tourists book 60 % of their overnight stays in a hotel, compared to 38 % of overnight stays booked by Belgian residents.
Figures on the countries of origin of the people who booked these overnight stays were also collected:
- 50 % of overnight stays in Belgium were booked by Belgians in 2019.
- 39 % of overnight stays were booked by travellers from another EU Member State. The Netherlands (13 %), France (7 %), Germany (7 %), the United Kingdom (4 %), Spain (2 %) and Italy (2 %) are the main countries of origin.
- The main countries of origin outside Europe are the United States, with 2.3 % of overnight stays, China (0.7 %), Russia (0.6 %), Japan (0.4 %) and Brazil (0.4 %).
- However, there are major differences among provinces and regions regarding the proportions of Belgians and foreigners as well as the country of origin. You will find all the information in the published tables.
[1]From 2019 onwards, Statbel no longer publishes municipal figures. For figures at a more detailed level than provinces, please contact: Toerisme Vlaanderen , Commissariat général au Tourisme or BISA
[2] The figures about holiday homes are based on a sample.