Belgians spend more money on their stays on the coast. A Flemish tourist office analyzed spending and noted an increase of €25/person/day in five years. And the Walloon is more spendthrift than the Flemish.
Who says holidays, also says expenses. On the Belgian coast, families take out their wallets without looking too much. “Especially for children”deliver two mothers met on the dyke.
According to the West Flanders Tourist Office report, Belgians still love their coastline. In 2016, a tourist spent an average of €65/day on the coast. In 2021, this amount reached €90/day. “During the coronavirus period, going to a restaurant was practically one of the only authorized outings”explains Olivier Verhaeghe of the Flemish tourist office. “So compared to before the health crisis, yes, Belgians go to restaurants more often.”
Who spends the most?
According to this study, Luxembourgers and Germans spend more than Belgians. And within our linguistic communities, there is also a difference between Walloons and Flemings. “It is the Walloons who spend the most, I think, then the Flemings”notes Vicky Vix, owner of a brewery on the coast. The French believe that we are too expensive.” Then she adds: “Walloons arrive at the sea with a full wallet and it’s empty when they leave home.”
The increase in expenditure therefore illustrates the satisfaction of Belgians for the North Sea. According to this study, the only point to improve remains the development of activities in case of bad weather.
