TOURISM IN KEY FIGURES edition 2018
TOURISM IN KEY FIGURES edition 2018 Tourism in Key figures provides a convenient overview of the major trends in international tourism and the tourism flows to, from, and in Flanders. In 2017 Flanders counted 30.8 million overnight stays and 12.9 million arrivals. This publication provides information on the place of stay, the timing of the visit and the reason why these visitors chose Flanders as their destination. In the course of 2017 and 2018 the Art Cities Research was conducted again, in which nearly 7,000 visitors were asked about their satisfaction and experience in the Flemish art cities. As an appetizer you ll find some results here. VISITFLANDERS conducts new research and publishes updated arrival and overnight figures on a regular basis. Please consult www.toerismevlaanderen.be/ figures to get regular updates on new tourism figures and research. I wish you lots of inspiration through this information. PETER DE WILDE CEO VISITFLANDERS
Evolution of international tourist arrivals 1980-2017 (in millions) The graph shows that tourism remains a growing sector, with intermittent periods of slower growth: GROWTH 1980-2017 IN 2012 THE MILESTONE OF 1 BILLION TOURIST ARRIVALS WAS EXCEEDED 2003: SARS VIRUS IN ASIA RESULTED IN A DECREASE IN 2011 AND 2012 A NOTICEABLE RECOVERY IN 2015, A NEW RECORD OF 1.2 BILLION ARRIVALS WAS REACHED 2001: SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS 2009: EFFECTS OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS Source: UNWTO
Evolution of international tourist arrivals 1950-2017 by continent (in millions) 671 EUROPE 323 207 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC AMERICA MIDDLE-EAST AFRICA 58 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 63 Source: UNWTO
2017 / Number of arrivals and overnight stays in Flanders overnight stays % arrivals % average lenght of stay (nights) Flemish region 24,511,335 79% 9,510,003 76% 2.6 Brussels region 6,335,177 21% 3,416,094 24% 1.8 Flanders 30,846,512 100% 12,926,097 100% 2.4 Belgium 38,677,308 16,319,275 2.4 OVERNIGHT STAYS ARRIVALS 26% 39% 34% 16% 51% 32% Coast 8.1 million Art Cities 12.1 million Flemish countryside 10.6 million Coast 2.1 million Art Cities 6.7 million Flemish countryside 4.2 million FLANDERS 100% 30,8 million FLANDERS 100% 12.9 million Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2017 / Division of overnight stays in the art cities 1.9 MLN 2.0 MLN 6.3 MLN ANTWERP BRUGES BRUSSELS 16% 17% 52% 1.1 MLN 0.5 MLN 0.2 MLN GHENT LEUVEN MECHELEN 9% 4% 2% TOTAL 12.2 million AVERAGE LENGHT OF STAY 1.8 nights Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2007-2017 / Evolution overnight stays and arrivals in Flanders ARRIVALS 17,000,000 +26,4% 9,000,000 16,000,000 8,000,000 15,000,000 7,000,000 OVERNIGHT STAYS 14,000,000 13,000,000 12,000,000 OVERNIGHT STAYS +17,6% 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 ARRIVALS 11,000,000 3,000,000 10,000,000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2,000,000 Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2017 / Division of overnight stays in the Flemish countryside 1% RANDSTEDELIJK GEBIED ANTWERP-MECHELEN 19% 29% COAST 2% 3% 2.1 MLN 3.1 MLN 3% MEETJESLAND WAASLAND ANTWERPSE KEMPEN 8% BRUGSE OMMELAND SCHELDELAND 13% LIMBURGSE KEMPEN 3% 0.9 MLN WESTHOEK 5% LEIESTREEK 3% VLAAMSE ARDENNEN 3% 1.4 MLN GROENE GORDEL 2% HAGELAND 2% HASPENGOUW MAASLAND 2% VOEREN 2% HASSELT EN OMGEVING TOTAL FLEMISH COUNTRYSIDE: 10.6 million AVERAGE LENGHT OF STAY: 2.5 nights TOTAL COAST: 8.1 million AVERAGE LENGHT OF STAY: 3.9 nights Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2017 / Seasonality of overnight stays in Flanders ART CITIES FLEMISH COUNTRYSIDE COAST The distribution of overnight stays throughout the year varies depending on the destination. Tourism at the coast and in the Flemish countryside is very seasonal, whereas the occupancy in the art cities is more evenly distributed throughout the year. At the coast 35% of overnight stays takes place in the months July and August and in the Flemish countryside 29% of overnight stays occurs during the summer months. In the art cities the two summer months count for 19% of the year total. There is clearly less commercial tourism in the winter at the coast, while the Flemish countryside still receives a reasonable amount of overnight stays. Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2017 / Top 10 of the foreign arrivals by country of origin 22% 15% 12% NETHERLANDS 1,442,290 FRANCE 998,433 DUITSLAND 841,559 11% 5% 5% UNITED KINGDOM 800,158 SPAIN 366,898 USA 347,610
3% 2% ITALY 218,160 CHINA 136,130 25% 1% 1% OTHER 1,790,933 ZWITSERLAND 95,195 LUXEMBURG 92,011 54% of all arrivals in Flanders are made by foreign tourists. Belgian tourists account for 46% of all arrivals. Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2017 / Overnight stays in Flanders by accommodation type 51% 3% 6% HOTELS BED & BREAKFASTS CAMP SITES 13% 14% 12% 1% HOLIDAY PARCS & HOLIDAY CENTRES HOLIDAY COTTAGES YOUTH ACCOMMODATION OTHER HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2017 / Overnight stays in Flanders by purpose of stay 75% 15% 10% LEISURE AND HOLIDAY 23,094,084 CONFERENCE, CONGRESS AND SEMINAR 4,724,612 OTHER BUSINESS PURPOSES 3,027,816 FLANDERS 100% - 30.1 million Source: Directorate-general Statistics - (c) Havenbedrijf Antwerpen - Peter Knoop
2017 / Gross occupancy rate in hotels 80% 70% 71% 73% 74% 69% 72% 60% 50% 54% 51% 51% 51% 53% 60% 59% 56% 55% 54% 40% 30% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 RESPONSE RATE IN ROOMS ART CITIES COAST FLEMISH COUNTRYSIDE 2013: 67% 2017: 73% 2013: 78% 2017: 79% 2013: 40% 2017: 74% (Response rate based on all participating hotels, whether or not they provided data for every month.) Source: VISITFLANDERS Hotelbarometer
Evolution tourist accommodation supply in Flanders NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS, BY TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION 2017 SHARE 2017 Hotels 1,065 26% Bed & Breakfasts 1,978 47% Camp sites 174 4% Holiday parks and holiday centres 53 1% Youth accommodation 480 12% Other holiday accommodation 418 10% FLANDERS 4,168 100% CAPACITY IN PERSONS, BY TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION 2017 SHARE 2017 Hotels 104,606 43% Bed & Breakfasts 13,013 5% Camp sites 50,785 21% Holiday parks and holiday centres 26,672 11% Youth accommodation 46,408 19% Other holiday accommodation 4,294 2% FLANDERS 245,778 100% NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS, BY DESTINATION TREND SHARE 2016 2017 2016-2017 2017 Coast 506 507 +0.2% 12% Flemish countryside 2,229 2,358 +5.8% 57% Art cities 1,117 1,303 +16.7% 31% - Antwerp 211 251 +19.0% 6% - Bruges 334 374 +12.0% 9% - Brussels 282 306 +8.5% 7% - Ghent 204 258 +26.5% 6% - Leuven 55 71 +29.1% 2% - Mechelen 31 43 +38.7% 1% FLANDERS 33,852 4,168 +8.2% 100% CAPACITY IN PERSONS, BY DESTINATION TREND SHARE 2016 2017 2016-2017 2017 Coast 50,165 50,183-0.0% 20% Flemish countryside 118,039 119,824 +1.5% 49% Art cities 74,565 75,771 +1.6% 31% - Antwerp 12,663 13,175 +4.0% 5% - Bruges 10,761 11,110 +3.2% 5% - Brussels 38,908 38,578-0.8% 16% - Ghent 7,332 7,769 +6.0% 3% - Leuven 3,308 3,501 +5.8% 1% - Mechelen 1,593 1,638 +2.8% 1% FLANDERS 242,769 245,778 +1.2% 100% Source: Directorate-general Statistics
2016 / total employment in the tourist sector in Flanders (in number of jobs) TOTAL 250,581 Employees Self-employed Accommodation 17,958 Accommodation regarding 2nd homes (only coast) 1,020 41,771 Food and beverage services 74,073 Passenger transport 54,954 Travel agencies, travel organizers, reservation desks and related activities 6,306 Cultural services 15,799 Sport and recreational services 15,057 18,101 Retail of country-specific, characteristic tourism goods 3,547 Non-tourism characteristic companies 1,995 TOTAL 190,709 59,872 The broad tourism sector (passenger transport included) accounts for 6.9% of total employment, 8.2% of self-employment and 6.6% of salaried employment Source: RSZ, RSVZ
2017 / Holiday participation Day trips 134,488 Individual holidays 8,920 Group holidays 6,097 Organized holidays 7,513 TOTAL: 157,018 In 2017 more than 157,000 Flemish people got support from the holiday participation centre to make a day trip or go on a holiday. Source: Holiday Participation Center
2017 / Cruises in Flanders Evolution of number of cruises in Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ostend Evolution of cruise passengers in Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ostend 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 In 2016, 177 cruise ships berthed in the ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ostend, carrying a total of approximately 800,000 passengers. Source: VISITFLANDERS based on statistics of the port of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ostend
2017 / Aviation in Flanders 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 TOTAL EU NON-EU 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 In 2017, Antwerp, Brussels and Ostend Airport welcomed 25.3 million commercial passengers. This is a increase of 13% compared to 2016. 15.9 million of these had a destination within the EU and 6,6 million within the rest of Europe or had a destination overseas. Source: Brussels Airport (BruTrends2016), Ostend-Bruges International Airport, Antwerp International Airport
Definitions 1 Flanders = Flemish + Brussels region 2 Overnight stays and arrivals figures are collected by the FPS Directorate-general Statistics, in commercial lodging accommodations (hotels, bed & breakfasts, camp sites, holiday parks, youth accommodation, social accommodation for adults and other holiday accommodation), including commercial rental accommodations at the coast. Rental accommodation in the interior (holiday cottages) are included as a sample survey since 2015. Not included in these figures: non-commercial rental accommodation, second homes and permanent places on a camp site. The number of arrivals corresponds with the number of residential tourists, taking into account that each tourist is counted as an arrival each time he uses a new accommodation. The volume of overnight stays is the total of all overnight stays associated with the registered arrivals. The represented arrival and overnight figures cover both leisure and business trips. 3 The gross occupancy rate is calculated based on the number of rented rooms in relation to the numbers of rooms available. The gross occupancy rate does not take into account closing dates. 4 Self-employed includes the categories Hotels, Recreation, Cafés, Amusements, Fairs and liberal professions in art.
VISITFLANDERS kennisbeheer@toerismevlaanderen.be 02 504 03 00 More research, statistics and definitions: www.toerismevlaanderen.be/figures. Publisher: Peter De Wilde, Toerisme Vlaanderen, Grasmarkt 61, 1000 Brussels Legal deposit: D/2018/5635/23/4