Belgium recorded 31.2 million overnight trips last year

Belgian residents made 31.2 million overnight trips last year, according to data from Statbel. Leisure travel dominated the sector, accounting for 94 percent of all trips. France emerged as the most popular international destination, followed by the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Domestically, 9.4 million trips were made within Belgium. The Ardennes and the Belgian coast were the most popular local destinations, each attracting 2.9 million visitors. For domestic travel, 83 percent of travelers used a car, while 12 percent used the train and 3 percent used the bus.

For international travel, the car remained the preferred mode of transport with 19.1 million trips, compared to 7.8 million trips by plane. Additionally, there were 1.9 million business trips, with 18 percent occurring within Belgium and the remainder primarily in neighboring countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and France.