With 15,8 million day tourists, Antwerp recorded an increase of 10,6% compared to 2023. Overnight tourism increased by 6% to 2,7 million overnight stays, a new record for Antwerp.
More international day tourists
The increase in the number of day tourists is noticeable among both domestic and international visitors. However, the biggest driver of this growth is the international day tourists, who show an increase of 23%. This has significantly changed the share of international day tourists compared to national day tourists: from 23% in 2023 to 31% in 2024. Another positive is that the international day tourist stays in the city for an average of 6 hours, which is 1 hour and 15 minutes longer than the national day tourist.
International day tourists mainly come from our neighbouring countries. The Netherlands is in first place with 45% of all international day visits, followed by Germany with 9% and Spain with 5%. The United Kingdom and France complete the top 5. It is striking that the origin of international day tourists is becoming increasingly varied. Some countries in the top 15 show big jumps, such as Italy with an increase of 58%, Portugal with an increase of 102% and Austria even 360%.
Five of the ten busiest days in 2024 were in December. Christmas shopping and Winter in Antwerp attracted many visitors. The absolute peak day in 2024 was 28 December, with 87.400 visitors.
New record for stay-over tourism
The number of overnight stays again reached a new record, exceeding the figure for 2023. According to official figures from the FPS Economy, 2024 million overnight stays were recorded in 2,7, which is 6% more than in 2023, which was also a peak year.
The origin of the stay-over tourists shows the same ratio as last year, with more foreign (64,7%) than domestic tourists. The Dutch market was the strongest represented with 35,8%, followed by Germany (12,4%) and the United Kingdom (7,4%). The top 5 is completed by Spain (5,3%) and the United States (5,1%).
The growth of stay-over tourism is mainly driven by recreational tourism and partly by the MICE segment. Recreational tourism accounts for 65% of all overnight stays. However, business individual tourism is struggling due to economic circumstances.
The occupancy rate in Antwerp hotels remained the same as in 2023 and will amount to 2024% in 68,8. Given the expansion of the hotel supply in Antwerp, this is a remarkable achievement. The average day room rate follows the economic circumstances and amounts to €120,60 this year, an increase of €3,90.
In addition to hotels, tourists are also increasingly opting for alternative accommodation options. Campsites are used more often as a stopover by foreign tourists who stay for one night, often with a visit to the historic city centre or a concert in the Sportpaleis. This year, a total of 8.200 camping nights were booked (8.000 in 2023), mainly with German (35%), Dutch (23%) and Belgian guests (18%).
MICE tourism boom confirms Antwerp as international host city
Antwerp sees a 3,6% increase in overnight stays with MICE motives. MICE stands for meetings, incentives, conferences & events. This confirms the city's position as an attractive conference destination. The first figures show that corporate events play a dominant role (94,2%), while associations or trade unions account for 5,8%. The importance of associations has increased slightly compared to 2023 (an increase of 2,3%). Thanks to the proactive approach of Antwerp Convention Bureau, the further development of the association market offers great potential. The largest share of participants in multi-day events who stay overnight in the city come from Belgium (44%), followed by the Netherlands (17%), Germany (7%) and France (5%). These figures underline Antwerp's role as a host city for international meetings and conferences.
However, the share of individual business travelers has fallen by 12,8% compared to 2023. These are travelers who travel alone or with a small group for business purposes, without being part of an organized group or event. The decline is attributed to lasting changes in travel behavior, such as cost cutting and meetings taking place online.
More information: Antwerpen.be