Sunny August weather attracted more tourists to the coast than the previous year, says provincial tourism office Westtoer.
Over July and August, around 10.5 million overnight stays were recorded, 3% higher than last year.
August saw a surge in stays by 11% compared to last year. A peak ensued on the weekend of 10-11 August, with 475,000 overnight and 360,000 single-day tourists.
The extended weekend of 15 August also saw a flurry of visitors. Over four days, 975,000 overnight and 450,000 single-day tourists were recorded, marking a win for the tourism sector.
For July and August combined, Westtoer counted 10.5 million overnight stays, a 3% increase from the previous year. The number of single-day tourists also rose by 10% to 5.8 million. Foreign tourists swelled, with a 6% increase in overnight stays.
The summer holiday period started slowly, impaired by erratic weather. Until mid-July less bookings were observed compared to the previous year.
Yet from 20 July, good weather triggered a surge in bookings. The overall hotel occupancy rate for July and August was a modest 72%, lower than last year’s record.
August was, however, a better month. Nearly all tourism rental agencies reported growth between 3% and 8% compared to last year.
The promising weather forecast drove a wave of last-minute bookings. Conversely, the last week of August had fewer visitors, most likely due to the end of school holidays in French-speaking Belgium.
