Breaking Records: Inside Belgium’s Tourism Boom of 2025
A Historic Year for Travel
If you felt like there were more people exploring the cobblestone streets of Bruges, hiking the lush trails of the Ardennes, or enjoying a waffle in Brussels last year, you were completely right. According to the latest figures released by Statbel on June 18, 2026, the Belgian tourism sector did not just recover from the pandemic, it shattered previous records. In 2025, holiday accommodations across Belgium registered a staggering 46.1 million overnight stays. This represents a solid 2.9 percent increase compared to 2024. After the historic crash of 2020, the sector has shown incredible resilience, firmly surpassing pre-COVID tourism levels.
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How Visitors Are Spending the Night
When it comes to where visitors rest their heads, traditional comforts still reign supreme, but nature is calling louder than ever. Hotels remain the most popular accommodation type, accounting for 46 percent of all overnight stays in Belgium. However, the biggest winner in terms of year-over-year growth was the camping sector. Camping stays saw a massive 10.5 percent spike in just one year, proving that domestic and international tourists are increasingly looking for outdoor, back-to-basics experiences.
The Regional and Provincial Divide
Belgium’s three regions all experienced the 2025 tourism boom differently. Flanders remains steady and dominant, retaining the lion's share of Belgian tourism with 63 percent of total stays. Meanwhile, Wallonia was the fastest-growing region, staging a massive comeback with a 6.9 percent growth rate. Brussels slowed down slightly, posting a modest 0.7 percent increase.
Zooming in on the provinces reveals some surprising shifts in tourist behavior. The province of Luxembourg saw a phenomenal 12.2 percent increase in overnight stays, driven largely by the surge in camping and nature tourism in the Ardennes. Antwerp followed closely with a 10.2 percent jump, highlighting the city's growing appeal as a premier urban destination. On the flip side, traditionally dominant tourist hotspots saw a slight cooling off. West Flanders, home to the famous coastline, saw a minor decrease of 1.4 percent, while Limburg experienced a small dip of 1.8 percent.
