The coastal tourism sector enjoyed a successful weekend, bolstered by over 300,000 day-trippers and 270,000 overnight stays, suggesting promising prospects for the upcoming summer holiday season, according to Westtoer.
With temperatures soaring above 30°C, it was a truly summery weekend at the Belgian coast. Michelle Martens, Westtoer’s press and media manager, reported exceptional numbers, surpassing those recorded during the recent Pentecost weekend.
Westtoer logged 270,000 tourist overnight stays over Friday and Saturday nights. This exceeded figures from the Pentecost weekend but fell short of those from the Ascension or May Day long weekends. Martens explained that many students had not yet finished exams, accounting for lower numbers compared to peak weekends in spring or during the summer holiday.
Hotels experienced an average occupancy rate of 85%. Many hotels attributed the high occupancy to numerous last-minute bookings.
Visitors enjoying a weekend or day trip to the sea experienced a lively atmosphere. Westtoer’s congestion barometer indicated yellow to orange levels, meaning busy to very busy, at times in Blankenberge, Knokke-Heist, Ostend, and Middelkerke. Meanwhile, other resorts showed light green, signalling a pleasantly busy environment.
