Belgian coast pleased with Easter holidays

The tourism industry on the Belgian coast is pleased with the number of visitors during the recent Easter holidays, reported the provincial tourism and recreation company Westtoer after a survey. About 1.2 million day-trippers visited the coast in the course of the two-week break.

The tourism sector reported good-sized crowds throughout the Easter holidays, with peak days in the weekends. The extended Easter weekend was especially successful.

The high visitor numbers helped the coastal tourist season get off to a strong start this year. The best day was 9 April, when the temperature rose above 20 degrees, says Westtoer.

"For many Belgians, the Easter holidays mark their the first annual appointment with the sea and the coast. A lot of French-speaking Belgians also take advantage of the Easter holiday to visit the coast, especially families with children," says Westtoer chairman Franky De Block.

Approximately 1.2 million day-trippers visited the coast during the Easter holidays, including about 275,000 during the extended Easter weekend and more than 100,000 on Easter.

The holiday period was also a strong one for the hotels at the coast, which recorded an average occupancy rate of 80- to 85%, and as much as 90% or more during Easter weekend.