2,000 sign petition against Visit.brussels budget cuts

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition against planned budget cuts at Visit.brussels, as staff demonstrated near the region's parliament to condemn the cutbacks.

The protest came after it was announced that the Brussels government plans to cut its subsidies for Visit.brussels by €5.7 million this year.

The government is also planning to slash funding for the organisation, which is responsible for promoting tourism and the image of the capital, from €22 million to €8 million by 2029.

"These dramatic cuts would lead to the loss of at least 90 of the institution’s 160 jobs and would seriously undermine its ability to carry out its missions," the Visit.brussels petition reads.

"This fundamentally political decision calls into question the strategic role the organisation plays in Brussels’ economic development and international influence."

Visit.brussels staff demonstrated on Place Saint-Jean in the city centre on Friday afternoon and handed out flyers near the Brussels parliament.

"We are speaking about an entire economy here, about the hotels, restaurants, cafes and culture," Visit.brussels head of visitor services Benjamin Vella told The Bulletin.

"Cutting our budget is not only bad news for us - it's bad news for the entire tourism and cultural economy here in Brussels.

"This government wants people to be proud of Brussels, to show that Brussels is a vibrant city. We just don't understand why they don't give us the means. What we do has concrete real effects on the Brussels economy.

"We waited more than 600 days for a government, and now it's there, it doesn't take the time to do things properly. This is really worrying for us all."