Number of tourist arrivals in the Brussels-Capital Region (Belgium) 2014-2020

In 2020, the Brussels-Capital Region (Belgium) attracted just over one million tourists. Figures experienced a significant decrease compared to the previous year. This decline resulted from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which strongly hit the global tourism industry.

Hotel accommodation in the Brussels-Capital Region

The occupancy rate of hotels in the Brussels-Capital Region increased from 2017 to 2019. However, figures fell sharply in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. That year, the hotel occupancy rate amounted to approximately 20 percent in the Belgian capital area. Similarly, the average price for hotel rooms in Brussels-Capital Region went from 108 euros in 2017 to 123 euros in 2019, before declining in 2020. Nevertheless, the lowest price was not registered during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but in 2016, when a hotel room cost on average 106 euros. This hotel price rate can be explained by the tragic event that happened in March 2016, when terroristic attacks took place in and around Brussels.

Business-related overnight stays in the Brussels-Capital Region

Besides leisure tourism, the Brussels-Capital Region also attracts business visitors each year. The number of congresses and meetings held in the region amounted to 290 in 2020, a very low number compared to the previous year. Many events were indeed canceled or postponed during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Furthermore, the number of business overnight stays spent in the Brussels-Capital Region followed the same downward trend in 2020, not even exceeding 900,000 nights.