In a bid to boost tourism in the region, Wallonia will launch a digital tourist pass which gives access to the region and its attractions at reduced prices, according to Belgian publication RTL Info.
Following the success of the previous “Visit Wallonia” pass which cost €80 and provided tourists with access to many attractions, Walloon Minister Valérie De Bue is announced a new digital version of the pass. Speaking on the Belgian radio programme Bel RTL, the minister said that the pass would now evolve into a digital format.
“We are going to offer promotions and reductions to diversify and better integrate the tourism offer in Wallonia,” the minister said. “We will have the pass on our smartphone. There will be a ramp-up in 2023 and 2024.” For those without a smartphone or who are not digitally literate, a physical version will also be available.
The digital pass will cost the same and offer all the same benefits as the previous Visit Wallonia pass. The reduction passes can be purchased online and the reductions will be valid across all of Wallonia.
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According to Etienne Claude, the director of “Wallonia-Belgium Tourism”, the organisation behind the project, the new pass will be an opportunity to help tourists discover attractions and receive reductions and benefits during their visit to the region.
According to TripAdvisor, some of Wallonia’s top-rated attractions include Liège’s Montagne de Bueren, the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy and its brewery near Rochefort, the Citadelle in Dinant, the old town of Durbuy, and the Namur Citadelle.
Building on past success
The Walloon tourism industry is already responding positively to the government’s proposal. Sarah El Marini, in charge of digital communications at the Wellington Museum in Waterloo, says that the pass will help them to modernise.
“This tourist pass clearly meets our vision. We have been collaborating with ‘Wallonia-Belgium Tourism” for several years and we have always had good feedback. For example, last year, we had more or less 140 visitors thanks to the discounts on their website,” El Marini said.
Last year, 25,000 people bought "Visit Wallonia" passes to visit the region's attractions. In fact, the passes completely sold out just 18 minutes after sales opened. Since the passes went on sale, over 60,000 have been distributed, bringing five million euros to the Walloon budget.
