Concise.pdf - Brugge Plus

However, the WES study only reports on the public impact and spending within the
recreational/tourist market segment and in the period during which Bruges was
Cultural Capital, i.e., from February 20 th to November 17 th 2002. In terms of numbers
and expenditure the total would therefore be higher when all market segments (i.e.,
also conference and business tourism) are taken into account on an annual basis.
If we look at the issue of overnighting tourists according to origin, the WES study
gives quite a comprehensive view for Bruges in the period during which it was
Cultural Capital.
On the basis of the NIS statistics, albeit for the first nine months of the year, we note
a spectacular increase for Bruges in the number of visitors from France, the
Netherlands and Germany (+ approx. 98,000 overnight stays). A surprising element
is the increasing interest in Bruges on the part of domestic tourists (+ approx. 19,000
overnight stays, up 18.4%). One downer is the sizeable decrease registered for the
British market (- 23,000 overnight stays, down 7.1%), since this is an important (the
largest) market for Bruges. A sharp fall in the American market (down 17.5%) and a
slight increase in the Japanese market (up 2.4%) are also worthy of note.
As was assumed before the start of BRUGGE 2002, and despite all the efforts, day tripping
remained exponentially greater in scope than overnight tourism, whereas the
economic surplus for Bruges is chiefly produced by overnight tourism. BRUGGE 2002
has left a clear mark on the issue of recreational tourism.
65
CONCISE
In the field of recreational city trips and mini-breaks, Bruges has strengthened its
position in respect of the other Flemish cities of artistic interest – Ghent, Antwerp
and Brussels. And one not-insignificant factor is that a large number of visitors,
including some day-trippers, are considering taking a (or another) short holiday in
Bruges in the years to come.
Tourist market position
Contextual success factors
Availability and affordability of the accommodation on offer appear to have been the
Achilles heel of the Bruges hotel sector for years. It is accepted that the room rates
cause potential customers to turn to other cities, a trend that promotes day-excursion
tourism in Bruges. At the request of BRUGGE 2002 the hotel sector made a “noncommittal”
undertaking not to implement any unwarranted price hikes in 2002. A survey
by the non-profit organisation Hotels Brugge & Regio revealed that room rates rose
by an average of 5.09% in 2002.
© A PRIOR
© PATRICK DE SPIEGELAERE
Lost Locations
Amparo Cortés (Old and New Belgians)