Search form

menu menu

Brussels government approves €7.6 million tourism relaunch plan

10:46 21/05/2021

The Brussels government has approved visit.brussels' 2021 relaunch plan, the fruit of an intensive consultation between players in the tourism, event and cultural sectors.

The relaunch is comprised of six strategic aims. The first is to attract local and Belgian visitors to Brussels as well as visitors of the neighboring regions.

Within this framework, several communication campaigns will be launched: a campaign to position Brussels as the European hub for hybrid meetings, another way to relaunch the destination and make visitors return to Brussels, and finally a campaign to make known the Brussels Health Safety Label and promote the labelled partners.

A new campaign will also be organised with Belgian and foreign influencers to promote cultural venues and events in Brussels. Advertising spaces will also be available to partners via a public tender. In total, these communication actions will have a budget of close to €1.75 million.

The second strategic aim, with a budget of €4 million, is to stimulate the offer available to locals and visitors. It involves the promotion of open-air events in public spaces during the summer season, the promotion of Brussels' gastronomy as well as the promotion of art and culture in public spaces.

Some 100,000 gift vouchers worth €40 will be available to international and Belgian tourists. Visitors can download these cheques in order to use them in tourist attractions, museums, officially recognised accommodations, and guided tour associations.

The third aim is financial support for the relaunch of the sector. Two funds will be launched to this effect: a financial support fund for the development of a sustainable and inclusive tourism offer as well as a support fund for investment in digital solutions, for a total of €1 million.

The fourth and fifth aims are the encouragement of an accelerated digital transformation of the sector and an evolution towards being an exemplary sustainable destination.

Finally, the sixth strategic aim will be to help all partners update their knowledge and skills. To do this, visit.brussels will put in place training and will share a maximum of relevant information with its partners.

The 2021 relaunch plan for tourism and cultural promotion of the region will total €7.6 million. Of this amount, €1.6 million will be available from existing sums in the visit.brussels budget and €6 million will come from additional resource requests.

"The tourism sectors are among those most affected by the crisis that we are going through," said Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort.

"The Brussels government has adopted various economic measures in the last few months. Thanks to the efforts of citizens and to the vaccination campaign, there is more and more light at the end of the tunnel.

"Visit.brussels, in cooperation with more than 200 partners, is presenting a multi-faceted plan, supported by the government. This plan will not only make Brussels more attractive and entertaining for all its visitors but will also support the hospitality, culture and events sectors, which are in great need."

Written by Richard Harris

Comments

WK

Tourists will not come back as long as even vaccinated persons have to spend 10 days of quarantine upon arrival and take two tests. Other countries already abolished this provisions, but not (yet) Belgium.

May 21, 2021 11:24