3,828,234 overnight stays in May 2022

Enterprises
3,828,234 overnight stays in May 2022

The number of overnight stays in Belgian tourist accommodations was 3,828,234 in May 2022. On a national level, most overnight stays were in hotels (46%), gîtes, holiday homes and apartments (17%) and holiday centres and holiday villages (11%).

The number of overnight stays in May 2022[1]  was 107% higher than in May 2021 (1,851,771), 5,132% higher than in May 2020 (73,168) and 8% higher than in May 2019 (3,551,310).

In the Walloon Region, there were 831,121 overnight stays, which represents an increase of 78%, 3,664% and 14% respectively compared to May 2021, May 2020 and May 2019.

In the Flemish Region, there were 2,416,088 overnight stays, which represents an increase of 90%, 5,612% and 10% respectively compared to May 2021, May 2020 and May 2019.

In the Brussels-Capital Region, the number of overnight stays was 581,025. This is an increase of 405% and 6,506% respectively compared to May 2021 and 2020. The Brussels-Capital Region recorded a decrease of 8% compared to May 2019.

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. 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 were not allowed up to and including June 2021.

Indoor playgrounds, 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 holiday parks.

Sports camps were only allowed to take place without overnight stays from 26 December 2021.

Exceptionally, figures for youth hostels and for B&Bs 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.