Flemish Ardennes (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Flemish Ardennes will introduce a €2 per adult per night tourist tax from January 1, 2027, after Tourism Flemish Ardennes prepares a plan for approval by municipalities.
As VRT News reported, the municipalities of the Flemish Ardennes, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, will introduce a single tourist tax starting in 2027. Officials mentioned that the region receives around 250,000 overnight stays each year.
“The idea has been around for several years in the Flemish Ardennes,”
says Zottegem’s acting mayor, Brecht Cassiman (N-VA).
“We’re used to paying a tourist tax when we travel or go on a weekend trip. We don’t think about it anymore. It’s only natural that tourists in the Flemish Ardennes do the same.”
“It would not be a ‘flat tax’, but money that should be used to take our tourism to a higher level.”
Brecht Cassiman (N-VA), acting mayor of Zottegem
What is the €2 tourist tax the Flemish Ardennes plans to introduce in 2027?
Officials say the tax will help generate extra revenue and make rules simpler for hotels, guesthouses, and other places that host visitors. After talks between local leaders, the mayors, including those from Geraardsbergen, agreed on a rate of €2 per adult per night. The idea of a uniform tourist tax has been discussed for several years. Now, the municipalities have reached a firm agreement to implement it.
Officials mentioned that the new tax is also expected to support tourism in the region. Revenue will be used to improve local infrastructure, organise cultural events, and enhance services for visitors.
“This won’t be a ‘flat tax,’ so no money to fill municipal coffers. This way, we could further promote Flanders’ most beautiful region and further develop tourism,”
the mayors said.
The mayors of the Flemish Ardennes have asked Tourism Flemish Ardennes to create a detailed plan for a single tourist tax across the region. They want a clear system so all municipalities follow the same rules. The regional tourism office will develop the proposal and submit it to local authorities in 2026.
“This will broaden the support for the plan somewhat,”
Cassiman adds.
“We can combat fragmentation with the same amount of funding. which is also a plus.”
If the municipal councils approve the plan, the tourist tax will start on January 1, 2027. The proposal will explain how the tax will be collected, who will pay, and how the revenue will be used. Officials say the money will go to tourism infrastructure and local cultural projects.
“With the support we’re creating now, I think things will work out fine,”
Cassiman concludes.
“We don’t expect much resistance from the hospitality industry either. We’re going to arrange things as best we can, so the barrier for them to comply remains low.”
Local authorities began talking about establishing a tax on visitors to the country in 1926 due to an increase in tourism and increased requirements for financial support of local services. Since that time, municipalities have been able to determine their own rates for tourist tax, resulting in each city or town determining its own rate for the tourist tax.
In recent decades, especially during the early part of the 21st century, many cities and towns throughout the region of Flanders have imposed a fee for providing overnight accommodation and as of the mid-20th century, some municipalities have reassessed their rates as a result of the increase in demand for tourist accommodation within the region and created additional funding to improve the local area’s infrastructure.
