During the February holiday, the Belgian coast recorded 620,000 overnight stays, a significant drop compared to last year.
Figures from tourism body Westtoer show that last year’s February holiday, which occurred later in March, saw 850,000 overnight stays, boosted by better weather at the time. This year’s total represents a decline of more than 25%.
Coastal hotels reached an average occupancy rate of just over 40% for the entire holiday period. The busiest days were during the carnival weekend on 14 and 15 February, with an occupancy rate of 65%. In comparison, last year’s occupancy was 60%, with weekend peaks reaching as high as 80%.
Around 500,000 day-trippers visited the coast for a single-day outing, down from an estimated 750,000 in 2025. Flemish visitors accounted for 64% of overnight stays, followed by French-speaking Belgians at 20% and international tourists at 16%.
Despite the decline, the numbers remain higher than those from the February holiday in 2024, when similar weather conditions prevailed.
“The appeal of our coast remains strong in all its aspects and across all seasons,” said Jurgen Vanlerberghe, deputy and chair of Westtoer. “Even in less favourable weather, the coast proves to be a remarkably stable destination for both day trips and multi-day stays.”
