Coastal and Art Cities in Flanders are seeing an Increase in Overnight Visits
**Flanders Sees Record Tourism Boom in 2024**
Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, has witnessed a significant surge in tourism in 2024, with a record-breaking 28.2 million overnight stays reported. The coastal area and the major art cities, including Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, and Mechelen, have emerged as the most popular destinations.
The coastal region accounts for approximately 28% of all overnight stays, attracting visitors with its combination of beach resorts, scenic views, and cultural offerings. On the other hand, the art cities collectively represent around 26% of the total overnight stays, with over 7.2 million overnight stays recorded in 2024 across these urban centers. Antwerp saw nearly 2.8 million, Bruges had just over 2 million, and Ghent attracted over 1.6 million overnight visitors.
The rise in foreign tourism is a notable trend in 2024, with 14% of the total overnight stays comprised of visitors from further off. Nearly a third (31%) of overnight stays were by tourists from the country's neighboring nations: the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK.
Business travel generated 17% of the visits to Flanders, while rentals such as apartments, gîtes, and holiday homes represented 19% of the total overnight stays. Youth hostels and other youth accommodation centres received 12% of guests.
Despite a slight decline, Belgians still make up the majority of visitors, accounting for 55% of the total overnight stays in Flanders in 2024. However, there was a 2% year-on-year decrease in the number of Belgians booking overnight stays in Flanders.
The study conducted by Visit Flanders in 2025 found that 41% of travellers from 13 European countries and the US now view Flanders as a "very attractive" destination for a short break, representing a 4% increase in four years.
This growth in tourism is a positive sign for the region's ongoing development, with its attractions continuing to draw increasing numbers of international tourists. The coastal areas and cultural urban hubs are central to this growth, making Flanders a vibrant and growing tourism destination.
- Tourists from across Europe and the US are increasingly attracted to Flanders, with 41% viewing it as a "very attractive" destination for a short break.
- The coastal areas and cultural urban hubs of Flanders, such as Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, and Mechelen, are central to the region's tourism boom, collectively accounting for around 54% of all overnight stays.
- In 2024, Flanders recorded a record-breaking 28.2 million overnight stays, with the coastal region and art cities being the most popular destinations.
- Foreign tourism is a significant trend in Flanders, with 14% of the total overnight stays comprised of visitors from further off, and nearly a third from neighboring nations like the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK.
- Business travel generated 17% of the visits to Flanders, while rental accommodations such as apartments, gîtes, holiday homes, youth hostels, and other youth accommodation centers accounted for 31% of the total overnight stays.
- In 2024, Belgians still made up the majority of visitors, accounting for 55% of the total overnight stays, although there was a 2% year-on-year decrease in the number of Belgians booking overnight stays in Flanders.
- The growth in tourism is a positive sign for the region's ongoing development, with its attractions continuing to draw increasing numbers of international tourists, contributing to the vibrant and growing tourism landscape in Flanders.
