The brussels governments put informations together to see the quality of services in the Brussels region regarding to the financial crisis we already know for four years.

Despite a difficult 2012 for the tourism industry, Brussels is very much holding its own. The BrusselsCapital Region welcomed around 3.2 million visitors in 2012, adding up to around 6 million overnight
stays. This figure matches that of 2011, a year that saw a 7.5% increase over 2010. It is worth
pointing out the 3% increase in overnight stays by business visitors. “Overnight stays by business
visitors rose by 3%, which bodes well for Brussels’ economic credentials. Brussels is therefore
managing to steer a path through the crisis and securing the stability of overnight stays,” stresses
Christos Doulkeridis, Brussels’ Minister of Tourism.
Belgians continue to account for a large percentage of reservations (20%), followed by the French,
English, German and Spanish. It is striking that some emerging markets have continued to grow:
Russia 30%, Japan 30%, Brazil 15% and China 10%.
VISITBRUSSELS, the tourism department, is optimistic. Patrick Bontinck, VISITBRUSSELS’ CEO,
explains: “Things are looking promising. The first quarter of 2013 has even notched up a higher
degree of occupancy than during the first three months of 2012. I hope that this trend will continue as
we enter the tourist season.”
“BRUSSELS QUALITY DESTINATION”
The cultural and historical heritage is the main pull (30%) for visitors. These are followed by the way
of life (20%), attractions and events (19%) and friends and family (12%). The “UNESCO” heritage is
the top draw for all customer segments and all ages. Architecture/Art Nouveau comes next, except
for those over 60 years, who prefer to visit museums. They are also more interested in Surrealism. As
for Brussels’ reputation as a comic strip hub, it mainly attracts visitors aged between 18 and 40. The
success of the Brusselicious theme year has undeniably contributed to Brussels’ appeal. Thematic
years are intended to raise awareness of the link between Brussels and its main defining features
world-wide.
“The impact of the image of the gastronomic year and its many international repercussions has
certainly contributed to the buoyancy of the tourism trade and goes to show how important it is for
Brussels to forge ahead with other campaigns of this type to boost Brussels’ image abroad”, says
Christos Doulkeridis. He points out: “It is reassuring to note that, in terms of quality, Brussels is a
prime destination. 82.5% of visitors to Brussels consider that the experience lives up to their
expectations. Other extremely positive points are that 84% of them want to come back and would
recommend the destination to family and friends.”