The 24th edition of the Brussels Christmas market was its most successful to date. Record numbers of people flocked to the Belgian capital, with a rise in international visitors.
Plaisirs d'Hiver (or Winter Wonders), Brussels' large-scale Christmas event, includes its Christmas market (named the best in the world), light show and other fringe events. The last edition, which ran from Friday 29 November 2024 until Sunday 5 January 2025, attracted more than 4.2 million visitors.
"This edition was a real success," City of Brussels Councillor for Tourism and Major Events, Delphine Houba, told The Brussels Times. "Looking at visitors numbers, it was a new record."
Looking more closely at the figures, 35% of visitors were Brussels residents. "Sometimes people say that the event is only organised for international people, but this shows the event is also popular among people living here." Over a quarter of visitors (27%) came from Belgium's other regions (Flanders and Wallonia).
Credit: Brussels Major Events
"What is very special this year is that we are seeing the return of international tourists," Houba said. Almost one in four (38%) people at the market were from abroad. "This is a 15% rise compared to last year." Most European visitors came from France, Spain and Italy.
"But we also saw an increase in visitors from the United States." Visitor figures from the US dropped during Covid-19 and have been recovering very slowly since.
Economic importance
The authorities underlined the importance of the winter event for the Brussels economy.
"It's a great way to attract people to Brussels," Houba said. "Many come to Brussels for the Christmas markets but then they stay to discover the whole city and the rest of the region." People visited restaurants, bars, hotels and local shops, encouraging money to flow into the local economy outside the Winter Wonders locations. These businesses also provide key employment.
This was reflected in figures shared by the Brussels Hotel Association. The occupancy rate of hotels neared 74% in December, comparable to the record year of 2019. Hotels around Grand Place even recorded an 82% rate. "There is a clear link between this occupancy and international visitors to the market," the association's Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh said.
The final night of the year – 31 December – was the icing on the cake, with an occupancy rate of 87% across the region and more than 90% in the city centre.
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Houba also referred to Brussels' Winter Wonders being included in CNN and Washington Post's rankings of best Christmas markets in the world. "We are proud of this mention, which is a recognition of all our hard work to organise this event."
Next year's edition marks the event's 25th anniversary. While not giving away too many details, Houba teased that several exciting surprises are in the works.
