After four days, the celebrations for the bicentenary of the battle of Waterloo ended on Sunday. The organisers are not yet able to say how much was spent during the events. But they have said that nearly 200,000 people attended in total. 30% to 40% came from abroad. If we say that foreign visitors spent an average of 250 euros per day per person (accommodation, food, travel, etc), organisers can say that well over 20 million euros was spent. They say hotels were fully booked in the Walloon Brabant and Brussels, even after the bicentenary of the battle of Waterloo. The organisers estimate the proportion of visitors from abroad, could have been as high as 40%. They predicted it would be around 30%. Ticket sales show that people from 75 different countries, including the USA and Australia, attended the reconstructions.
“It is too early for the organisers to give detailed figures. But it is already obvious that spectators spent over 20 million euros. That is the immediate result, but we have to think long term. With the battlefield monuments being renovated and all the international publicity for the bicentenary, there is a new tourist dynamic today”, says Vincent Scourneau, the delegate administrator for the battle of Waterloo 1815 association.
(Source: Belga)
