Dinant votes to limit new tourist accommodation

The Walloon city of Dinant is aiming to cut back on the levels of over-tourism seen in another Belgium star attraction, Bruges, by introducing new limits on tourist accommodation.

The town’s municipal council has voted almost unanimously to create a quota that limits tourist accommodation such as gîtes, guest rooms, and Airbnbs to 10% of all properties, based on the region's land registry.

The limit will form the basis of a regulation to be submitted to the council for a final vote in the next few months.

“We often cite the examples of Furfooz or Foy-Notre-Dame - these are villages [near Dinant] where there are more second homes than residents,” Dinant mayor Richard Fournaux said.

"The town planning department sounded the alarm, saying not a week goes by without a request for information from a notary for new gîtes."

“We’re not against tourism and tourist accommodation, but this overtourism is starting to have an impact."

Dinant is a jewel in Belgium’s Ardennes crown that attracts tourists worldwide with its citadel, scenic river walks, and 13th-century Gothic church.

Insufficient access to housing for locals is a key issue, Fournaux said.

“Those who buy property to create a gîte are prepared to take the risk of paying a higher price for the home, since they will have a higher return on investment than young couples who want to settle down.”

On the other hand, young locals have more difficulty settling in, as the amount of accommodation on offer is reduced, the mayor said: “The decrease in the number of inhabitants, and children too, also makes it harder to maintain rural schools.”