Belgium Flanders Region

Tourism in the economy The turnover in the Flemish tourism-recreational sector in 2007 was EUR 17 396 million

(including Brussels). Investment in the Flemish sector amounted to EUR 1 084 million in 2006.

The number of overnight stays in Flanders has stagnated over the last five years. In 2008, 28.3 million overnight stays were recorded in Flanders (including overnight stays in accommodation for rent at the coast), in comparison with 28 million in 2004 (+0.9%). 49.5% of the overnight stays are by foreign visitors, and 50.5% for the domestic market. (Market shares for the foreign market were, in art cities, 82.3%, in the Flemish countryside 46.1% and at the coast 21.5%.) 78.0% of overnight stays in Flanders are for leisure purposes and 22.0% for business travellers.

In the Flemish art cities (Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and Mechelen), the number of overnight stays went up by 14.6% between 2004 and 2008 and in the Flemish countryside the rise was 12.0%. At the Flemish coast, however, a drop of 15.9% was recorded in commercial accommodation establishments, while at the same time there was

a trend towards more second homes and day trips to the coast. Tourism organisation

There have been no recent changes in the administrative organisation, territorial organisation or in either the organisation or linkages between the national tourism authority and the provinces/regions. The structure of tourism organisation in Flanders is as shown below (Figure 4.3).

Tourism budget The budget for tourism amounts to 0.4% of the overall Flemish government budget. For

tourism policy in Flemish Belgium there is a grant of EUR 61.6 million (including the grant to Toerisme Vlaanderen). Toerisme Vlaanderen’s overall budget totals EUR 78.5 million, comprising the grant from the Flemish government plus the organisation’s own revenues. The tourism marketing budget amounts to EUR 14.04 million.

The Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs ordered a comprehensive study to investigate the efficiency of the investments in Tourism Recreational Projects over the period 2002-07. This comprised an evaluation of the existing regulatory framework, programme analysis, process evaluation, results measurement, the development of a set of indicators (output, outcome, impact), and various recommendations.

OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2010 © OECD 2010

Figure 4.3. Flanders Region, Belgium: Organisational chart of tourism bodies

Flemish Ministry for Administrative Affairs, Local and Provincial Government, Civic Integration, Tourism and the Vlaamse Rand

Tourist Office for Flanders

Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs

Toerisme Vlaanderen

Departement internationaal Vlaanderen

Marketing

International Affairs Division

Investment Maintenance and

Development of Tourism

Policy Division

Infrastructure and Services

Quality

Knowledge and Information Research Division

Source: OECD, adapted from Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs, 2009.

Tourism-related policies and programmes In the area of the legislative and regulatory environment, the “Tourism for All” Decree

aims to make tourism accessible to all segments of the Flemish population (Box 4.5). The Decree was amended in 2008. The “Accommodation” Decree, which classifies and defines the minimum licensing standards for Flemish tourist accommodation was introduced in July 2008; the Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs is currently working on new implementing orders in this connection.

In March 2009, the “Touristic Co-operation Structures” Decree was introduced and the implementing orders for this are currently being finalised. This legislation gives cities, municipalities, provinces and private actors the possibility to build co-operation structures with touristic goals. Also, the UNWTO’s Global Code of Ethics in Tourism was added to the travel agency regulations in 2008.

Flanders participated in STREAM, which is a European project that promotes energy efficient personal transport for recreation and tourism. The STREAM project resulted in

16 Flemish attractions receiving support in making the mobility that they generate more sustainable and achieving an awareness campaign (“the nicest way”) to the Flemish public on sustainable mobility for recreation. Toerisme Vlaanderen is now developing a guideline for tourist attractions that will enable them to set up their own sustainable mobility plan, based on the STREAM experiences.

In 2009, Toerisme Vlaanderen launched a radio campaign to make the consumer more aware of the impact tourism can have on the environment, local economy, culture and nature.

OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2010 © OECD 2010

An “ecolabel” for camp sites and youth accommodation, dealing with concerns over energy, waste and water issues (and bearing the title of De Groene Sleutel) was awarded to

9 camping sites and 11 youth accommodation centres in 2008; since the end of 2008 this award has also been made available to hotels, guest rooms and holiday residences and may

be further extended to tourism attractions in 2009. Additional recent initiatives have included:

a renewed training programme for travel and tour guides; ● the integration of the Toerisme Vlaanderen and CultuurNet Vlaanderen databases;

● further development of the “Steunpunt Vakantieparticipatie”’ (Centre For Travel Participation) services with extra funding; (“Steunpunt Vakantieparticipatie” also

recently reached an agreement with the national railways [NMBS] to introduce social fares for the underprivileged);

● the signature of a co-operation agreement between Toerisme Vlaanderen and the Tourism Industries Federation in 2008, involving co-operation on knowledge and

research, quality management, training and communication issues;

a co-operation agreement between Toerisme Vlaanderen and the provinces for the period 2008-12 on product development, investment, marketing, quality management, training, knowledge and information;

a co-operation agreement between Toerisme Vlaanderen and the Flemish Art Cities; ● the distribution of a manual to colleges with tourism educational programmes that

stipulates how sustainability criteria can be integrated into the curriculum; and ● the implementation of specific action plans for the coast and the art cities.

In other initiatives, at the end of 2008, the “Steunpunt Toerisme en Recreatie” research institution which is subsidised by the Flemish government, presented a study entitled Basic Tourism Data in Flanders in an International Context: Benchmarking Study, which compares its own measurement systems with other relevant systems in Belgium and Europe. Furthermore, Box 4.4. provides details of a project to promote youth tourism for the Flemish community, while at the end of December 2007 a “minimal tourism satellite account (TSA-R)” was developed for the Flemish community.

Box 4.4. Youth tourism for the Flemish community For the Flemish community, a current key challenge is the development of youth

tourism. An International Youth Action Plan sets the guidelines for product development, welcoming services, international marketing and international co-operation. In 2008, the Flemish community started to make an inventory of all existing youth accommodation. A specific task force is currently setting out an assessment framework for youth accommodation units that do not comply with regional zoning plans. The framework was completed and presented for ratification by the Flemish government in 2009. Also, the Flemish community wishes to increase youth accommodation centres through public- private partnerships. The PPP-announcement was initially published in the European Union’s tender publication, but received no subscriptions. The reasons for this are currently being investigated and once the evaluation is complete it will be re-launched.

Box 4.5. Social tourism – “Tourism for All" This has been a very successful initiative in the Flemish community. “Steunpunt

Vakantieparticipatie” (Centre for Travel Participation) is a service of Toerisme Vlaanderen that develops travel opportunities for people with a limited income. It contains day trips, trips of several days or longer, individual trips, organised trips and group arrangements. Steunpunt Vakantieparticipatie is continuously looking for new tourism industry partners in this programme. Recently, it reached an agreement with the national railways NMBS to introduce social fares for the underprivileged. At the end of 2007, a satisfaction survey was conducted by both the tourism partners and the tourists. The level of satisfaction of the tourism partners was 93.2% in tourism attractions and 92.6% for accommodation. 92.6% of travellers were satisfied or very satisfied, and 91% of the social partners were also satisfied about the new online reservation system. Another institution “Infopunt Toegankelijk Reizen” (a service of Toerisme Vlaanderen) stimulates efforts in the tourism sector to give people with a physical disability a pleasant holiday and gives information on the accessibility of accommodation, transport, attractions and museums at the destination.

Belgium Flanders Region