A combination of good weather and the long holiday weekend was credited for a higher turnout of visitors to the Belgian coast than usual, according to the regional tourism organisation Westtoer.
The organisation reports that tourism entrepreneurs, especially those in the lodging sector, were very satisfied with the past week. Coastal hotels recorded an occupancy rate of up to 95% over the entire weekend.
"The fact that so many people booked a stay on the coast this past extended weekend, and also the days before that, indicates that tourists from home and abroad see the coast during the summer as the ideal place for extensive enjoyment: from the fresh mornings to the blissfully soft evening hours," said Liesbet Billiet, regional manager for the Coast at Westtoer.
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Campsites and holiday homes were also nearly fully booked for the holiday weekend, with Saturday night being reportedly the most reserved night. Approximately 1 million overnight stays were recorded from Wednesday evening to Saturday night.
The tourism office also noted the increase in international tourism to the coast, with the overall percentage doubling from 13% in 2021 to 26% this year. It is estimated that 340,000 visited the coast during the day, declining to stay overnight.
"Many of them came to seek relaxation and refreshment on the coast, which remains the ideal place for it during hot summer days," the office said in a release.
Westtoer advises those looking to vacation on the coast to first look at the busyness barometer, to help plan their trip.
