Tourism
in Key figures
edition 2016
Tourism in
Key figures edition 2016
“Tourism in Key figures” provides a convenient overview of the
major trends in international tourism and the tourism flows
to, from, and in Flanders. In 2015 Flanders counted 30.8 million overnight stays and 12.6 million arrivals. This publication
provides information on the place of stay, the timing of the
visit and the reason why these tourists chose Flanders as their
destination.
In the coming years, VISITFLANDERS will enthusiastically dedicate itself to a ‘Flemish Masters’ theme. This year we organised
a market research to estimate the market potential for this
theme in 17 different countries. As an appetizer you’ll find the
most important results here.
VISITFLANDERS conducts new research and publishes updated
arrival and overnight figures on a regular basis.
Consult www.toerismevlaanderen.be/figures to keep informed
about the new tourism figures and research.
PETER DE WILDE
CEO VISITFLANDERS
Evolution of international tourist
arrivals 1980-2015 (in millions)
The graph shows that tourism remains a growing sector, with intermittent periods of slower growth:
GROWTH
1980 - 2015
IN 2012 THE MILESTONE OF
1 BILLION TOURIST ARRIVALS
WAS EXCEEDED
2003: SARS VIRUS IN ASIA
RESULTED IN A DECREASE
2001: SEPTEMBER 11
ATTACKS
IN 2015, A NEW RECORD
OF 1.2 BILLION ARRIVALS
WAS REACHED.
2009: EFFECTS OF
THE FINANCIAL CRISIS
IN 2011 AND 2012 A NOTICEABLE RECOVERY
Source: UNWTO
Evolution of international tourist
arrivals 1950-2015 by continent (in millions)
EUROPE
609
277
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
191
54
AMERICA
MIDDLE-EAST
AFRICA
53
Source: UNWTO
2015 / Number of arrivals and
overnight stays in Flanders
overnight stays
%
arrivals
%
2005 - 2015 / Evolution overnight stays
and arrivals in Flanders
average
lenght of stay (nights)
Flemish region
24,379,810
79%
9,265,307
73%
2.6
Brussels region
6,443,213
21%
3,353,899
27%
1.9
Flanders
30,823,023
100%
Belgium
38,380,415
12,619,206100%
2.4
15,846,926
2.4
OVERNIGHT STAYS
ARRIVALS
+34%
+40%
Overnight stays
Arrivals
27%
39%
33%
17%
51%
32%
Coast
8.5 million
Art cities
12.1 million
Flemish countryside
10.2 million
Coast
2.1 million
Art cities
6.5 million
Flemish countryside
4 million
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2015 / Division of overnight stays
in the art cities
1.9
2
MLN
ANTWERP
MLN
BRUGES
16%
1
9%
16%
MLN
BRUSSELS
0.5
MLN
GHENT
6.4
0.2
MLN
LEUVEN
4%
53%
MLN
MECHELEN
2%
TOTAL 12 million
AVERAGE LENGHT OF STAY 1.9 nights
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2015 / Division of overnight stays in the
Flemish countryside
RANDSTEDELIJK GEBIED ANTWERP-MECHELEN
1%
COAST
8%
WESTHOEK
MEETJESLAND
BRUGSE
OMMELAND
0.8 MLN
5%
LEIESTREEK
19%
30%
1.9 MLN
3.1 MLN
3%
2%
3%
2015 / Seasonality of overnight stays
in Flanders
ANTWERPSE
KEMPEN
WAASLAND
13%
SCHELDELAND
3%
2%
1.4 MLN
ART CITIES
LIMBURGSE
KEMPEN
4%
FLEMISH COUNTRYSIDE
MAASLAND
2%
COAST
2%
VLAAMSE
ARDENNEN
GROENE
GORDEL
HAGELAND
HASPENGOUW
2%
VOEREN
2%
TOTAL FLEMISH COUNTRYSIDE: 10.2 million
AVERAGE LENGHT OF STAY: 2.5 nights
HASSELT EN OMGEVING
TOTAL COAST: 8.5 million
AVERAGE LENGHT OF STAY: 4.1 nights
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
The distribution of overnight stays throughout the year varies depending on the destination. Tourism at the coast and in the Flemish
countryside is very seasonal, whereas the occupancy in the art cities
is more evenly distributed throughout the year. At the coast 36% of
overnight stays takes place in the months July and August and in the
Flemish countryside 31% of overnight stays occur during the summer
months. In the art cities the two summer months count for 20% of the
year total. There is clearly less commercial tourism in the winter at the
coast, while the Flemish countryside still receives a reasonable amount
of overnight stays.
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2015 / Top 10 of the foreign arrivals
by country of origin*
20%
14%
13%
NETHERLANDS
FRANCE
UNITED KINGDOM
1,436,269
986,504
939,840
4%
2%
ITALY
CHINA
252,991
149,195
22%
OTHER
1,529,644
12%
5%
5%
2%
GERMANY
USA
SPAIN
ZWITSERLAND
814,104
367,433
334,319
105,220
1%
JAPAN
93,031
*
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
56% of all arrivals in Flanders are
made by foreign tourists. Belgian
tourists account for 44% of all
arrivals.
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2015 / Overnight stays in Flanders
OVERNIGHT STAYS BY TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION
52%
HOTELS
3%
14%
75%
6%
BED & BREAKFASTS
13%
OVERNIGHT STAYS BY MOTIVE
HOLIDAY
COTTAGES
9%
CAMP SITES
11%
1%
LEISURE AND
HOLIDAY
23,234,719
HOLIDAY PARCS &
HOLIDAY CENTRES
16%
YOUTH
ACCOMMODATION
CONFERENCE, CONGRESS
AND SEMINAR
4,883,840
OTHER BUSINESS
PURPOSES
2,704,464
OTHER HOLIDAY
ACCOMMODATION
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2015 / Gross occupancy rate in hotels
Evolution tourist accommodation
supply in Flanders
NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS, BY TYPE OF
ACCOMMODATION
CAPACITY IN PERSONS, BY TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION
2015 SHARE 2015
2015 SHARE 2015
Hotels
1,068
29%
Hotels
104,435
Bed & Breakfasts
1,690
46%
Bed & Breakfasts
11,670
5%
Camp sites
174
5%
Camp sites
51,848
21%
Holiday parks and holiday centres
456
12%
Holiday parks and holiday centres
45,952
19%
Youth accommodation
48
1%
Youth accommodation
27,518
11%
Other holiday accommodation
214
6%
Other holiday accommodation
3,029
1%
Flanders
3,650 100%
Flanders
NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS,
BY DESTINATION
Trend
2014
2015
2014-2015
Coast
Flemish countryside
Art cities
RESPONS RATE IN ROOMS
ART
CITIES
2008: 62%
2015: 81%
COAST
2008: 65%
2015: 73%
FLEMISH
COUNTRYSIDE
2008: 23%
2015: 71%
43%
244,452 100%
CAPACITY IN PERSONS, BY DESTINATION
Aandeel
2015
Trend
2014
2015
2014-2015
Share
2015
505
497
-1.6%
17%
Coast
55,899
52,123
-6.8%
21%
2,080
2.123
+2.1%
58%
Flemish countryside
119,424
118,754
-0.6%
49%
Art cities
73,277
73,575
+0.4%
30%
11,901
12,427
+4.4%
5%
989
1.030
+4.1%
28%
- Antwerp
156
174
+11.5%
4%
- Antwerp
- Bruges
292
311
+6.5%
8%
- Bruges
10,980
10,893
-0.8%
4%
- Brussels
292
274
-6.2%
8%
- Brussels
38,099
38,137
+0.1%
16%
- Ghent
160
183
+14.4%
4%
- Ghent
7,702
7,247
-5.9%
3%
- Leuven
54
54
+0.0%
2%
- Leuven
2,953
3,276
+10.9%
1%
- Mechelen
35
34
-2.9%
1%
- Mechelen
1,642
1,595
-2.9%
1%
Flanders
3,574 3,650+2.1% 100%
Flanders
248,600244,452 -1.7% 100%
(Response rate based on all participating hotels, whether or not they provided data for every month.)
Source: VisitFlanders Hotelbarometer
Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2014 / total employment in the tourist
sector in Flanders (in number of jobs)
TOTAL
240,024
Accommodation
Accommodation regarding 2nd homes (only coast)
Employees
2015 / Holiday participation
Self-employed
17,665
41,421
1,054
Food and beverage services
70,538
Passenger transport
53,773
Day
trips
Individual
holidays
Group
holidays
Organized
holidays
128,382
6,935
6,427
6,944
Travel agencies, travel organizers, reservation desks
and related activities
Cultural services
Sport and recreational services
6,475
14,151
Retail of country-specific, characteristic tourism goods
3,416
Non-tourism characteristic companies
1,898
Total
15,669
13,964
182,934
TOTAL: 148,688
57,090
The broad tourism sector (passenger transport included) accounts for 6.8% of total employment,
7.9% of self-employment and 6.5% of salaried employment.
Source: RSZ, RSZPPO, RSVZ
The holiday participation Centre has an extensive network of over 2,000 partners.
In 2015 more than 150,000 Flemish people got support from the
holiday participation centre to make a day trip or go on a holiday.
Source: Holiday Participation Center
2015 / Cruises in Flanders
Evolution of number of cruises
in Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ostend
Evolution of cruise passengers
in Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ostend
2015 / Aviation in Flanders
Trend in the number of passengers processed by Brussels Airport
TOTAL
EU
NON-EU
In 2015, 153 cruise ships berthed in the ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ostend,
carrying a total of approximately half a million passengers.
Source: VISITFLANDERS based on statistics of the port of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ostend
In 2015, Brussels Airport processed 23.4 million commercial passengers. This is an increase with 7%
compared to 2014. 15.5 million of these had a destination within the EU or arrived in Brussels. 3 million
had a destination within the rest of Europe and another 4.9 million had a destination overseas.
Source: Brussels Airport (BruTrends2015)
Market potential of the Flemish Masters
1
2
3
4
markets with a high interest
in art and culture and with a
significantly high knowledge
of the Flemish Masters,
namely Russia and Spain;
markets with an average
to high interest in art and
culture but with average
to poor knowledge of the
Flemish Masters, namely
Italy, Brazil, China, the
United Kingdom, the United
States, France, Denmark,
India and Japan;
markets with a low interest
in art and culture, but with
significant familiarity with
Flemish Masters, namely the
Netherlands, Germany and
Austria;
markets with a low interest
in art and culture and very
poor knowledge of the
Flemish Masters, namely
Switzerland, Norway and
Sweden.
THE MARKET POTENTIAL OF THE FLEMISH MASTERS IS BASED ON THE RESULTS OF A MARKET
RESEARCH DONE IN 17 COUNTRIES, IN WHICH THE INTEREST IN ART AND CULTURE
AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FLEMISH MASTERS HAS BEEN SURVEYED.
MORE INFORMATION: www.toerismevlaanderen.be/publicaties/marktonderzoek-vlaamse-meesters
*
The size of the dot indicates the 2015 market share in Flanders.
Definitions
1 Flanders = Flemish + Brussels region
2 Overnight stays and arrivals figures are collected by the
FPD - Directorate-general Statistics, in commercial lodging
accommodations (hotels, B&B’s, camp sites, holiday parks,
youth accommodation, social accommodation for adults
and other holiday accommodation), including rental
accommodations at the coast. Rental accommodation in the
interior (holiday cottages) are included as a sample survey since
2015.
Not included in these figures: non-commercial rental
accommodation, second homes and permanent places on a
camp site.
The number of arrivals corresponds with the number
of residential tourists, taking into account that each
tourist is counted as an ‘arrival’ each time he uses a new
accommodation.
The volume of overnight stays is the total of all overnight
stays associated with the registered arrivals. The represented
arrival and overnight figures cover both leisure and business
trips.
3 The gross occupancy rate is calculated based on the
number of rented rooms in relation to the numbers of
rooms available. The gross occupancy rate does not take
into account closing dates.
4 Self-employed includes the categories Hotels, Recreation,
Cafés, Amusements, Fairs and liberal professions in art.
VISITFLANDERS
[email protected] | 02 504 03 00
More research, statistics and definitions: www.toerismevlaanderen.be/figures.
Publisher: Peter De Wilde, Toerisme Vlaanderen, Grasmarkt 61, 1000 Brussels
Wettelijk Depot: D/2016/5635/45/4