Aalst (Brussels Morning): Aalst saw a 29.5% increase in foreign visitors and a 34% rise in overnight stays in 2023.They are thankful to successful advertising campaigns targeting tourists from Germany and the Netherlands.
Aalst had more tourists in 2023 with visitors from other countries going up by 29.5% and overnight stays increasing by 34%. This boost is mainly because of special advertising aimed at tourists from Germany and the Netherlands. Alderman Caroline De Meerleer (N-VA) mentioned that these campaigns worked well by more guided walks and tourist things to do in the city. Aalst did really well with their tourism plan. They used online and offline ads to attract tourists from nearby countries, and it worked. More people from abroad visited Aalst, stayed longer and enjoyed the city as a tourist spot.
What makes Aalst special?
Aalst is special because of its culture which is all about being creative, brave, and funny. The Carnival in Aalst is a big deal and even recognized by UNESCO. It’s known for its funny and sometimes cheeky floats and that bring in visitors from everywhere. This festival has been around since the 15th century and shows off Aalst’s love for humor and talking about society. Local groups called “voil janetten,” work hard for months to get ready for this event. Aalst has stuff like its old town and the Grote Markt with the oldest city hall in the Low Countries and a UNESCO belfry. But the not-so-great summer weather lately has slowed down the tourist fun a bit. Aalst did a great job with their ads, especially for people from Germany and the Netherlands. More visitors and longer stays happened because of this
A lot of visitors come to Aalst to see other nearby cities like Brussels and Ghent. They stay around 2 nights here. The hotels and B&Bs are getting busier and they want to make more rooms. There’s space for new places to stay without too much competition. Tourism in Aalst from people in the country has stayed the same as in 2022. This is happening not just in Aalst but in all of Flanders. The Ibis Hotel in Aalst is seeing these changes too. An employee there working for two years noticed more international guests coming in. More foreigners are interested in visiting even though the number of local visitors hasn’t changed.
