Airbnb Belgium doubles bookings despite elevated terror threat

Airbnb continues to enjoy spectacular growth in Belgium despite the country's elevated terror alert level, writes De Tijd today. The online marketplace for the rental and booking of private accommodation for the first time exceeded the mark of one million overnight stays in Belgium.

Between April, 2015, and March this year, 454,000 guests booked lodging in Belgium via Airbnb, accounting for 1.3 million overnight stays. "We saw a doubling in the accommodation on offer, the number of guests and the number of nights," says Philippe Coulon (pictured), general manager of Airbnb Belgium, in the newspaper.

In just a few years, the company from Silicon Valley, California, grew to become one of the largest players in the Belgian tourism sector, with 1.3 million overnight stays over the last year. Airbnb launched the market for privately rented rooms in Belgium, and became a serious competitor to the traditional hotel industry.

Nearly half of the accommodation offered on Airbnb Belgium is in Brussels, where there are 6,200 rooms, apartments and houses available for short-term rental.