The future of small-scale accommodation in Flanders

Flanders as a tourism pioneer: a conversation with Peter De Wilde

Tourism Flanders has for several years been committed to 'Travel to Tomorrow', which transforms tourism in Flanders into a model that offers both economic and social added value. Also, since 2023, the accommodation decree simplifies all kinds of administrative processes and creates a level playing field within the accommodation sector. In turn, Tourism Flanders' future plans focus on sustainability, digitalisation and filling in bottleneck jobs. In this way, Flanders continues to develop as a sustainable and attractive tourist destination.

Hotelvak was curious to know the state of affairs and entered into a conversation on the subject with Peter De Wilde, CEO of Tourism Flanders. We present here the first part of this enriching and highly engaging conversation. First of all, we wanted to know what the ambitious manager's overall vision of tourism in Flanders is, after a few years in the saddle.

"For several years now, we with Tourism Flanders have been committed to a new strategic vision that we have christened 'Travels to Tomorrow'. Not just a non-committal or woolly philosophical approach to tomorrow's tourism, by the way, because our current competent minister Zuhal Demir has made 'Travels to Tomorrow' the cornerstone of her tourism policy. A recognition and appreciation of this vision for which we at Tourism Flanders are very grateful. As a matter of fact, this makes us and Flanders a real forerunner. I regularly speak abroad about our strategy, which is increasingly being followed. Whereas in the past we were almost exclusively fixated on economic added value, realised overnight stays and turnover, tourism as a 'money machine', we are now shifting our guns from shoulder to shoulder to a broad social added value, including the economic. 'Travel to Tomorrow' actually revolves around balance. Where we used to look almost exclusively at the interests of the visitor and the industry, and hardly considered the negative impact of too many tourists in the same place at the same time, we now also look at the interests of residents, entrepreneurs and at the carrying capacity and tolerance of the place itself. In other words, tourism is no longer an end in itself but an instrument to make people and places better and societies more united. To put it very concretely, we don't put tax money into promoting cruise tourism, for example. Or in visitors who are only interested in pretty Instagram pictures, without really wanting to connect with what we call the soul of the place. Of course, we are not going to build a wall around Flanders. Those who want to come will be able to. But we ourselves do not actively bet on low-cost airlines or the quick group visits, because their business model is at odds with what sustainable tourism should be."

What unique features of Flanders would you like to highlight to attract tourists?

"Flanders is a unique tourist destination for several reasons. And then we automatically arrive at the themes that we develop and market for tourism. Marketing we do primarily abroad because that is the main task of Tourism Flanders. It won't surprise you that, given my double mandate as managing official of both Tourism Flanders and the Flanders Heritage Agency, I think first and foremost about heritage experience. Flanders has a rich history and culture, with beautiful historic towns and monuments for visitors to explore. And all that in a manageable, travelable area. But since this legislature we have also been focusing on a theme that is still relatively new to Tourism Flanders: nature. Flanders has beautiful natural landscapes, from the coastline to the green inlands. Just think of the new National Parks and Landscape Parks we recognised this legislature. Of course, whoever says Flanders also says cycling. We are a bucket list destination for those who already enjoy exploring on two wheels, whether or not dressed in a lycra suit. Of course, we also play off Flanders as a tasty destination, where you can enjoy yourself at every table and bar, in a starred restaurant but just as well in the local chip shop. But we are also targeting the business tourist and attracting leading conferences to Flanders. We may not be a typical sun-sea-beach destination, but rather a boutique destination with an enormously varied catalogue for our visitors to choose from. And last but not least, with our 'Everyone deserves a holiday' operation, we are also working very hard to remove barriers to holidays, financial or otherwise. This makes us truly unique in the world. At Tourism Flanders, we have already had several foreign tourist organisations asking how we make 'everyone deserves a holiday' not an empty slogan, but a central theme in our operation. Just like accessibility and family-friendliness, for that matter. So we have a good cooperation with our colleagues from Visit Scotland. They got the know-how from us to install the operation of 'Everyone deserves a holiday' in the Scottish region as well."

What are the main changes brought about by the lodging decree?

"The biggest change was undoubtedly administrative simplification. We lowered the barriers to doing business by abolishing the operating licence and replacing it with compulsory notification and voluntary accreditation and star rating. We did initially face some criticism from the industry. But we now see that the number of registered lodges in Flanders has increased by almost 9,000 and the number of recognised lodges has even doubled to more than 7,000."

"With the new lodging decree, we have also ensured a level playing field within the lodging sector with the same minimum basic conditions for every lodging, regardless of size or type. Moreover, with the recent tilting of youth accommodation into the accommodation decree, we can finally speak of a true umbrella decree for tourist accommodation."

"In addition, the introduction of the Hotel Stars Union standards as a hotel classification was also a good thing. A large part of European countries now use that star rating, giving our visitors from home and abroad a transparent and comparable comfort classification. The star rating is voluntary, yet 8 out of 10 hoteliers still choose it. Our luxury hotel segment has also never been bigger. At the start of the current accommodation decree in 2017, there was only one five-star hotel in Flanders. Meanwhile, there are no fewer than seven, four of which have the highest five-star superior rating. And that does not even count Brussels, because there it is our Brussels colleagues who award the stars."

How has the accommodation decree impacted the tourism industry so far?

"The accommodation decree has constantly evolved along with the sector. The decree has never stood in the way of the innovation that was and is going on within the sector, but at the same time we have remained committed to the basic principles of safety and quality. You can also see this when you look at our accommodation sector. It has never been so diverse and innovative. Moreover, our lodgings receive the best reviews in Europe from their guests."

"Through our additional and more efficient controls, we have also gained a better overview of the lodging offer. There are currently more than 29,300 registered lodgings in Flanders. At the start of the current lodging decree in 2017, there were 20,600. These extra checks are also necessary. I am kicking in an open door when I say that the rental of rooms and flats via online platforms has increased substantially in recent years. Thanks to the new accommodation decree, a large part of it has also been officially registered and recognised. According to European Commission figures, rentals via online platforms account for almost a quarter of all tourist accommodation in the European Union. Fortunately, the European Commission has now taken an initiative that will oblige online platforms to release their lodging data to member states and governments. Something for which we from Flanders, like many other regions, cities and countries, have been fighting for years and have filed a number of court cases around it."

How do you see the future of the small accommodation provider in Flanders under the current decree?

"The small accommodation provider certainly has a future in Flanders. In fact, the accommodation decree takes the small-scale nature of accommodation into account in several areas. I am thinking, for example, of the specific fire safety standards that apply to small accommodation providers. Quality, individuality and profiling will become increasingly important. Especially for small-scale lodging. Competition on the market is fierce and the supply has also increased. The customer has it all to choose from, and is looking more than ever for quality. A card that we with Tourism Flanders also absolutely want to draw."