No Br_ _ sels without us: tourism campaign unveiled

Visit Brussels tourist agency has unveiled its new campaign to draw people back to the capital later this summer as coronavirus restrictions further relax. The campaign plays with the letters ‘us’ in Brussels to spread the message that “There’s no Br_ _sels without us”.

The concept came from creative agency FamousGrey of Groot-Bijgaarden. The campaign will be carried out across Belgium as well as abroad.

“Brussels is the sum of a savvy blend of humour, culture, hospitality and the open-mindedness of its inhabitants,” says Visit Brussels in a statement. “With 183 nationalities, it is the most cosmopolitan city in Europe. What makes Brussels Brussels is the people from around the world who live here. There is no Brussels without them. No Br_ _ sels without us.”

The campaign will be launched a bit later when things return more to normal following weeks of lockdown measures to control the spread of the coronavirus. It is one of a host of measures approved by the Brussels region to support the tourism and cultural sectors in re-starting their activities.

‘An unprecedented crisis’

“The tourism, events and cultural sectors are vital to our region,” says Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort. “They are the source of many direct and indirect jobs and undeniably contribute to the image and international reach of Brussels, and they are going through an unprecedented crisis.”

Brussels’ tourism and event sectors have a greater impact on the local economy year after year. Over the last decade, overnight stays in the capital-region have increased by nearly 6% every year. Last year, museums and other attractions welcomed more than five million visitors.

“The economic emergency in which the sector finds itself requires an ambitious re-start plan to support the impacted actors as effectively as possible,” says Vervoort, “to attract visitors from Belgium and other countries once again and to guarantee the safety of visitors and workers. This plan is a first response to the tourism crisis confronting us.”