During the Easter holiday, Belgium’s Westtoer coastal region recorded 1.5 million overnight stays and 1.1 million day-trippers.
These figures are slightly lower than those from 2025, though comparable to 2024, according to Jurgen Vanlerberghe, deputy and chairman of Westtoer. He noted that the coastal area remains a year-round stable holiday destination with a solid visitor base.
Hotels along the coast reported an average occupancy rate of 48% during the two-week Easter period. This marked a 5% decrease compared to 2025, when the Easter holiday was extended by an extra day. Easter weekend was the busiest period, with occupancy rates averaging 67%. Attendance varied significantly across different coastal towns, often driven by events. For instance, Ostend drew large crowds during the weekend of 11–12 April with the launch of its street art festival, The Crystal Ship, and the Billie Jean King Cup international tennis competition.
Approximately 70% of hotel guests were Belgian, predominantly from the Flemish region, as holiday dates differ in French-speaking areas, where vacation starts on 28 April. Around 15% of stays were by German tourists, thanks to neighbouring German states having overlapping holiday periods. Dutch and French visitors each accounted for 5% of hotel occupancy, complemented by a significant influx of tourists from Luxembourg.
As many as 1.1 million day-trippers flocked to the coast during the Easter break. While this represents a 15% drop compared to 2025, the numbers closely mirror those of 2024. Good weather on Easter Monday, 6 April, drove the highest daily attendance, with approximately 110,000 visitors.
