4,354,427 overnight stays in May 2024
The number of overnight stays spent in Belgian tourist accommodations amounted to 4,354,427 in May 2024. Most of these overnight stays were in:
- Hotels (44%)
- Holiday homes and apartments (18%)
- Holiday parks (11%)
The number of overnight stays was 3% higher in May 2024 [1] than in May 2023 (4,208,866).
In the Walloon Region, there were 977,807 overnight stays. This is a 5% increase compared to May 2023.
In the Flemish Region, there were 2,742,451 overnight stays, which is an increase of 4% compared to May 2023.
In the Brussels-Capital Region, there were 634,169 overnight stays, or a 0,4% decrease compared to May 2023.
[1] When interpreting the evolution between the same months of two consecutive years, it is important to take into account the differences in the number of holidays, school holidays or weekends between these two months.
In addition, from the 2022-2023 school year and following the reform of school rhythms in the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, holidays in French-speaking education no longer necessarily coincide with those in Dutch-speaking education.
Overnight stays in 2023 by region and most common countries of origin (a)
| REGION | Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 44,696,602 | 28,042,853 | 9,526,626 | 7,127,123 |
| Belgium | 23,102,177 | 15,981,626 | 5,462,957 | 1,657,594 |
| Non-residents | 21,014,387 | 11,665,557 | 3,997,674 | 5,351,156 |
| The Netherlands | 6,151,999 | 3,858,758 | 2,016,899 | 276,342 |
| Germany | 3,170,497 | 2,149,957 | 506,532 | 514,008 |
| France | 2,715,449 | 1,270,581 | 631,876 | 812,992 |
| United Kingdom | 1,810,659 | 1,129,172 | 170,365 | 511,122 |
| United States | 958,495 | 437,740 | 52,698 | 468,057 |
| Spain | 785,861 | 313,053 | 46,997 | 425,811 |
| Italy | 624,004 | 240,393 | 82,689 | 300,922 |
| Other | 4,797,423 | 2,265,903 | 489,618 | 2,041,902 |
| "(a) The figures include both real holidays and stays related to congresses, seminars, conferences and other professional purposes. Source: Statbel (Directorate-General Statistics - Statistics Belgium)" | ||||
Arrivals in 2023 per region and type of accommodation (a)
| Region | Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (nace 55) | 18,576,023 | 10,969,419 | 4,038,727 | 3,567,877 |
| Hotels (nace 55.1) | 11,434,833 | 5,957,299 | 2,064,306 | 3,413,228 |
| Youth hostels (NACE 55.201) | 1,591,530 | 1,150,374 | 324,583 | 116,573 |
| Holiday centres and villages (NACE 55.202) | 1,395,502 | 1,021,037 | 374,465 | 0 |
| Holiday homes and appartments (NACE 55.203) | 1,803,499 | 1,050,298 | 747,125 | 6,076 |
| Guest rooms (NACE 55.204) | 667,304 | 528,380 | 106,924 | 32,000 |
| Holiday and other short-stay accommodation (NACE 55.209) | 682,808 | 682,808 | 0 | 0 |
| Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks (NACE 55.3) | 1,000,547 | 579,223 | 421,324 | 0 |
| "(a) The figures include both real holidays and stays related to congresses, seminars, conferences and other professional purposes. Source: Statbel (Directorate-General Statistics - Statistics Belgium)" | ||||
Overnight stays in 2023 by region and type of accommodation (a)
| Region | Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (nace 55) | 44,696,602 | 28,042,853 | 9,526,626 | 7,127,123 |
| Hotels (nace 55.1) | 20,642,447 | 10,462,347 | 3,356,501 | 6,823,599 |
| Youth hostels (NACE 55.201) | 4,563,410 | 3,488,140 | 856,713 | 218,557 |
| Holiday centres and villages (NACE 55.202) | 5,510,360 | 4,134,894 | 1,375,466 | 0 |
| Holiday homes and appartments (NACE 55.203) | 7,543,593 | 5,231,370 | 2,296,064 | 16,159 |
| Guest rooms (NACE 55.204) | 1,221,859 | 975,678 | 177,373 | 68,808 |
| Holiday and other short-stay accommodation (NACE 55.209) | 1,763,361 | 1,763,361 | 0 | 0 |
| Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks (NACE 55.3) | 3,451,572 | 1,987,063 | 1,464,509 | 0 |
| "(a) The figures include both real holidays and stays related to congresses, seminars, conferences and other professional purposes. Source: Statbel (Directorate-General Statistics - Statistics Belgium)" | ||||
Purpose and brief description
The purpose of this survey is to measure the volume of domestic and inbound tourism, expressed in number of arrivals and overnight stays, by purpose of the trip and country of residence of the guest.
Population
Accommodation establishments
Frequency
Monthly.
Timing of publication
Results available 3 months after the reference period
Definitions
Country of residence of the tourist: the country of residence is the country where the traveller has lived for most of the past 12 months.
Type of accommodation: the collective tourist accommodation establishments are divided according to the NACE code.
Number of arrivals: an arrival is defined as a person who arrives at a collective accommodation establishment and stays there at least one night. Arrivals are registered by country of residence of the guest and by purpose of the trip.
Number of overnight stays: An overnight stay is each night a guest spends or is registered in a collective accommodation establishment. Overnight stays are registered by country of residence of the guest and by purpose of the trip.
Purpose of the trip: there is only one main purpose for a trip, in the absence of which the trip would not have taken place. The Directive distinguishes two main reasons to travel:(i) business and professional; (ii) holidays, recreation and leisure. Holidays due to 'Visits to friends and relatives' should be included in point (ii).
Note
The crisis caused by the COVID-19 has had a major impact on the horeca sector. Numerous measures have been taken to contain the spread of this virus.
Holiday parks and camping sites had to close from 3 November 2020 to 7 February 2021. Hotels and B&B could remain open, but bars and restaurants had to close. Meals had to be taken in the room.
As of 8 February, holiday parks 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 also allowed to reopen on 8 May 2021. In practice, this was 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, 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. During this same period, only sports camps without overnight stays were authorised.