2023-06-10 13:02:00
Too many tourists kill tourism. According The standard, Bruges and Ghent are looking for ways to combat the harmful effects of mass tourism. Bruges was the first Flemish city in 2019 to limit the mooring of cruise ships in the port of Zeebrugge in order to limit the flow of tourists in the “Venice of the North”. The new regulations stipulated that a maximum of two ships could drop anchor at the same time. “That still makes two more times 8,000 visitors who, as soon as they land, go to the city center just for a few hours”, says Mieke Hoste (Vooruit), Alderman for Tourism in Bruges. The elected official thinks that the rush periods and the calm periods should be spread over time. “Everyone would be a winner“, she says.
Welcome to Antwerp and Brussels
In the port of Ghent, the number of cruise ships is limited to ten. “When I see the number of tourists that these boats dump in the space of a few hours in the city center, I tell myself that it is exaggerated.”, notes the Alderman for Tourism in Ghent, Bram Van Braeckevelt (Groen). In the city of La Lys, the number of tourists has increased by 10% since the end of the Covid. According to the Ghent elected official, who has decided to limit the number of river cruise ships to four from next spring, the pressure on the real estate market is enormous due to the increasingly important presence of Airbnbs.
Visiting Ghent, a green city that focuses on sustainable tourism
On the other hand, Antwerp does not see where the problem is. In the second port of Europe, “on likes that there is atmosphere on the quays”, says the alderman of Tourism Koen Kennis (N-VA). A new pier for cruise ships had been inaugurated near the Château du Steen two years ago by the alderman. According to the elected nationalist, the people of Antwerp love to see these giants of the oceans moored to the quays.
Same story in the capital. Brussels is not worried about the possible negative effects of mass tourism. “Brussels is not Bruges. In Brussels there is no mass tourism even if the number of foreign visitors is increasing, but we have the means to welcome them”. affirms the Alderman of Tourism of Brussels Delphine Houba (PS).
For “pajama tourism”
A study by Tourism Vlaanderen reveals that just over half of Antwerp residents are in favor of the presence of cruise tourists in their city. In Ghent, it’s the opposite, 50% of Ghent residents want the number of tourists in their city to drop. Antwerp even offers to welcome tourists that Ghent refuses: “They are welcome. Our traders and the horeca sector will be delighted to see them coming”, launches the alderman Koen Kennis who affirms that Antwerp welcomes between 20 and 40 cruise ships (of average size) per year and this for ten years.
His Ghent college is not of the same opinion. Bram Van Braeckevelt believes that we must rethink mass tourism. Arrived by bus, these visitors visit one city after another, they spend their time taking selfies. “We must reduce selfie tourism and encourage pajama tourism”, quips the alderman who would like tourists to extend their stay in Ghent. “Most visitors only stay for a few hours. Those who stay spend the night in Airbnbs. We do not know their number”, he concludes.
The Flemish government also knows that cruise tourism is likely to lead to an acceleration of pollution in places of “overtourism”. According to experts, this mass tourism has devastating effects on the environment and on the local population. When they are at the quay, the engines of the liners remain active, in order to be able to supply the boat with energy. The Flemish Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA) had recently recognized, on the occasion of the presentation of a study by Tourism Vlaanderen, that it will be necessary to rethink cruise tourism in Flanders and Brussels.
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