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€4 million campaign to polish image of Brussels
Rudi Vervoort, minister-president of the Brussels-Capital Region, has announced a new campaign to polish the image of the capital and attract more tourists. The campaign has a budget of €4 million and will be run by ad agency Wunderman Bruxelles.
Tourism in the capital is slowly on the mend following the terrorist attacks of March last year and the Brussels links to the attacks in Paris the previous November. However, Vervoort said, there is still a need for investment to give the sector “an extra boost”.
“Tourism is without a doubt of critical importance to the economy of the region,” he said. “The most recent figures show that the efforts of the government, which took action soon after the attacks, are beginning to bear fruit. But we can’t stop there.”
Recent successes include the Winter Wonders Christmas market and an increase in hotel occupancy on New Year’s Even by 20% compared to 2015, reaching 85% occupancy.
The campaign includes a European road show, taking the attractions of Brussels to potential visitors in France, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy and across Belgium. Later, a similar publicity campaign could take in the US and Japan, as well as countries like India and Brazil.
Photo courtesy VisitFlanders
Comments
Brussels is a third world hell hole that has one redeeming feature, the EU. If it were not for the EU, Belgium would be screwed. As to the generous terms and conditions of EU employees, that's all ok as long as there is a competition to join the gravy train. And ANY tax on an EU salary is ridiculous. That, folks, is direct from your leaders with alcohol induced loose lips.....
Spending money on an ad campaign is great BUT the city could begin by cleaning up the graffiti which is rampant (Palais de Justice?????? How does one get away with putting graffiti on the boarding at the front of the Palais?), fixing the broken trash cans all over town., removing graffiti from its red mailboxes, clearing out the weeds and dead branches from city landscape areas, repairing the cobblestones missing from its sidewalks, and enforcing penalties on all the double parked cars blocking major arteries????? Get real city -- friends who visit me are complimentary about the city's food and culture BUT every guest says Brussels is dirty and sad looking.