Belgium’s Strategy to Boost Domestic Tourism Post-Lockdown

The Belgian government announced a raft of measures last week to encourage domestic tourism as the country emerges from three months of lockdown.

Some of those measures include:

• An extension of parental leave
• A €300 (US$337) tax-deductible voucher that workers can receive from their employers to use in restaurants, museums, theatres, and other hard-hit sectors.

Moreover, a free 10-journey rail pass was initially set to be introduced in July as part of this package. However, this particular scheme has been rejected by the country’s national rail operator due to health and safety concerns, according to The Brussels Times.

Belgium has been hit hard by the coronavirus. As infection rates have decreased in recent weeks, the government is continuing to review lockdown measures and gradually ease restrictions.

Resumption of Activities

Phase three of the country’s roadmap out of lockdown began on June 8, with most businesses resuming operations. This includes:

• Cafes
• Restaurants
• Bars

Consequently, there is a requirement for tables to be kept 1.5 meters apart. Furthermore, tourist boats have returned to the canals of Bruges, hotels have started to accept bookings, and as of June 15, restrictions have been lifted for travel within the European Union as well as from the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

Comparative Global Strategies

Belgium’s package to promote domestic tourism is similar to incentives introduced in other countries. For example, Japan is considering partly funding domestic trips through its Go To Travel campaign, while New Zealand has proposed a four-day work week to provide residents with additional holiday time. Additionally, Switzerland has proposed offering residents vouchers worth 200CHF (US$210) to stimulate spending in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

This article was first published on June 15 and updated on June 17, 2020.