Many tourists, especially Belgians, chose Wallonia for their holidays this summer, even though the lifting of the Corona measures could have made travelers opt for overseas destinations, the regional tourism office, Wallonia Belgium Tourism (WBT), said in a press release.
During the summer period, more specifically from 1 July to 15 August, average occupancy of the region's accommodation facilities was 80 percent. According to figures from the Walloon Observatory for Tourism, this was a 20% increase. Local accommodation and holiday villages were the most popular places to stay, although campsites also scored well, increasing by 30%.
The hotel sector also thrived, up 42% from the summer of 2021.
The warm weather caused attractions near water to break visitor records, as did many outdoor activities, with some soaring by 44%. The drought did have negative consequences for certain water sports, such as kayaking, which could not continue in many places. On the other hand, walks and bike rides were popular, due especially to the increase in electric bicycles, according to WBT.
For indoor activities, the balance appears more mixed. Museums and air-conditioned places welcomed more visitors than in 2021, but most attractions received about the same number of people as the corresponding period of last year.
Visitors spent more this summer on both accommodation and activities. Average expenditure on accommodation increased from €351 to €408 (+16%), while average spending on activities went from €20.78 to €21.51 (+3.5%) per person.
Despite the recovery of international travel, most tourists in Wallonia are Belgians. About 76% of visitors at attractions were from Belgium (51% from Wallonia, 18% from Flanders and 7% from Brussels). Another 10% came from the Netherlands, 6% from France and 2% from Germany.
