Brussels, 26 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels hotels have warned that higher VAT, rising operating costs, regional taxes and insufficient demand are putting increasing pressure on the capital’s hospitality industry, despite modest improvements in summer occupancy.
Brussels hotels face higher VAT and taxes
The Brussels Hotels Association (BHA) says the sector is struggling with a combination of fiscal and operating pressures. The federal government increased VAT on hotel accommodation from 6% to 12%, while operators are also dealing with inflation and higher running costs.
At regional level, the industry has highlighted increases in property taxation and the Brussels accommodation tax, which rose from €4 to €5 per night.
The BHA argues that these additional expenses are arriving when demand is not strong enough to support continued expansion in the sector. Hotels consequently face the choice of increasing room prices or absorbing costs through already constrained margins.
Summer occupancy improves but concerns remain
Brussels hotels recorded average occupancy of 75% in July and 69% in August 2026, according to the BHA. July increased by 1.2 percentage points compared with a year earlier, while August improved by 1.6 points.
However, the association described the summer as mixed, noting that July 2025 had been particularly weak and that August traditionally represents a quieter month.
The latest full-year official figures also show the importance of business visitors. Visit Brussels recorded 9.63 million overnight stays in 2025, 1.7% fewer than in 2024. Business overnight stays increased by 3.2% and accounted for 53.5% of the total, while leisure overnight stays fell by 3.5%. Hotel occupancy nevertheless reached 75%.
Hotel association warns pressure is unsustainable
Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh, secretary-general of the Brussels Hotels Association, warned that continued pressure could have serious consequences for individual businesses.
“If the situation does not improve quickly, several hotels risk finding themselves in serious financial difficulties before the end of the year.”
He said hotels must either pass higher costs to guests and risk losing customers or absorb those expenses themselves and threaten their profitability. According to the BHA, many establishments have chosen to absorb costs.
Van Weyenbergh added:
“We have reached a level of pressure that is no longer sustainable.”
BHA president Willem Van der Zee has also rejected the assumption that additional fiscal costs can simply be transferred to visitors, arguing that both operators and Brussels as a destination ultimately bear the consequences.
Business tourism remains crucial for Brussels
Brussels’ dependence on professional visitors means the autumn business season will be particularly important. The BHA identifies September to November as a peak period because of the capital’s reliance on business tourism.
The industry’s difficulties also follow years in which operators reduced margins to navigate the pandemic and subsequent economic pressures.
Hotels call for government measures to be reviewed
The BHA is urging public authorities to reassess measures affecting hotel costs, arguing that weakening accommodation businesses could undermine Brussels’ wider efforts to attract tourists, conferences and international events.
Attention will now turn to autumn occupancy and bookings. Stronger business demand could provide some relief, while continued weakness would intensify the financial challenge facing hotel operators before the end of 2026.
