BELGIUM TOURISM ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION

Tourism is regional matter in Belgium. Each of the three regions as well as the German-speaking community has its own organisation and legislation. They are acting independent from each other.

Flanders

At the administrative level the two main actors are the Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs (“Departement internationaal Vlaanderen”) and VisitFlanders (Toerisme Vlaanderen). The Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for (1) policy support, preparation, monitoring and evaluation; (2) granting and controlling licences for tourist accommodation.

VisitFlanders is a knowledge- and strategy-driven marketing organization that supports the tourism sector. VisitFlanders is responsible for the development and promotion of destination Flanders to international visitors. The development and promotion of destination Flanders are handled in an integral manner and guided by the reputation of Flanders.

VisitFlanders also manages the Holiday Participation Centre (Steunpunt Vakantieparticipatie) which makes holidays accessible to Flemish persons who experience thresholds to organize themselves their holiday.

The Research Centre of the Government of Flanders develops TSA and other (economic) indicators and statistical information.

The Authorities of Flanders contain 13 policy areas in total. Tourism is part of the Flemish Foreign Affairs Policy Area.

The Flemish Foreign Affairs Council (SARiV) is an independent advisory body to the Flemish Government. The Council gives advice to the Flemish Government on its foreign policy, its policy on international trade, tourism and development cooperation, either at the request of the Flemish Government, or on its own initiative. The Flemish Foreign Affairs Council consists of 20 members appointed for four years: 10 independent experts and 10 representatives of civil society.

An Advisory Board advises VisitFlanders on strategy, the quality of its services and its general functioning (without decision powers). It also steers the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Tourism in Flanders-Brussels 2020. The Advisory Board counts 19 members, representing in a balanced way the different tourism stakeholders (public and private actors, art cities and Brussels, coast, Flemish regions, tourism and hospitality industry, social tourism, culture, attractions, mobility, gastronomy, education,…).

Since April 2011, the provinces are exclusively competent for tourism promotion on the domestic market.

The main responsibility of the municipalities and cities is giving information to the public (welcoming service). Some municipalities and cities have a ‘Flanders information office’ or ‘Regional information office’, which means that they also give information about other Flemish provinces and municipalities. Some municipalities and cities (which can or cannot be situated in the same province) join forces in regional cooperation structures

Flanders Cooperation  

• Vzw Horeca Vlaanderen: Joint promotion of Flemish gastronomy
• Vzw Toeristische Attracties: promotion of attractions
• Consortium led by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven: support of the master in Tourism
• Vzw Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen: promotion of Flanders as a cycling destination
• Vzw Bond Beter Leefmilieu: support of the Green Key
• Vzw USE-IT: support of specific tourist information for young people
• VisitFlanders sign collaboration agreements with governmental, non-governmental and public partners like ‘Agentschap voor Maritieme Dienstverlening en Kust’ (Maritime support and coastal development), ‘Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos’ (Nature and Forests), ‘Herita’ (Heritage) or the Brussels Airport Company.
• VisitFlanders engages in joint promotions with industry partners like Brussels Airlines, US Airways or Jetairfly

Wallonia  

The actors are the “General tourism Commission”, Wallonia-Brussels Tourism, the Centre for Tourisme Engineering of Wallonia

 A. The General Tourism Commission - CGT: The CGT is the agency responsible for implementing the government of Wallonia’s overall tourism policy. Since 2008, when the CGT became an independent public body, it has taken a more proactive approach to management that has allowed it to respond more appropriately to changes in the industry. Its missions are executing touristic policy, managing touristic equipment which belongs to Wallonia Region and organising and promoting tourism on the Wallonia’s territory. To do so, the CGT is in charge of classification and subsidy lines, promotion actions in Wallonia, conception and content of the image, official brochures, touristic data, products conception, fair participation as well as strategy developments.

B. Wallonia-Brussels Tourism Bureau - WBT: The second institutional player in Wallonia tourism, WBT, has the chief responsibility for promoting Wallonia and Brussels as tourism destinations in Flanders and abroad.

C. Wallonnia Tourism Engineering Centre (CITW): At last, with support from European funds, the CITW, a joint economic and tourism development undertaking of Walloon municipalities, has been organising and implementing "tourism engineering policies" in Wallonia, pooling responsibilities and co-ordinating actions at the Walloon territorial level with the CGT, as well as co-ordinating more generally the studies performed by specialised consultants.

Wallonia Cooperation

The CGT and WBT are working hand in hand with the touristic professional associations at elaborating and implementing innovative and competitive policies which meet the demand of the sector: Gîtes de Wallonie, Accueil Champêtre en Wallonie, Walcamp, Vilvac, Auberges de Jeunesse, Attractions et Tourisme, Musées et Société en Wallonie, Horeca Wallonie,...

German-Speaking Community

A. Tourism Agency for East Belgium (TAO): Marketing and promotion - development and implementation of new products - national and international cooperation projects with neighbouring regions in Wallonia and Flanders as well as in Germany, Luxembourg, France and the Netherlands - monitoring of market and trends – support to and coordination of private and public actors in tourism. Main private and public actors in Tourism as well as the local authorities are part of the administration board.

B. Ministry of the German-speaking Community – Tourism Unit: Policy support - preparation, monitoring and evaluation of regulations - monitoring the execution of the management agreement between the Government and the Tourism Agency – tourism statistics - follow-up of the implementation of the vision-mission-concept - follow-up of international organisations e.g. EU – quality programme and quality control of the sector – granting subsidies to touristic associations and tourist information offices – coordinating training courses for the sector - touristic licences: granting and controlling licences for tourist accommodation facilities – preparing and monitoring touristic infrastructural investments by the Government.

German-Speaking Community Cooperation  

• Tourism Agency East Belgium (TAO)
• European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) “Marketing for Eifel and the Ardennes”
• “Made in Ostbelgien”: joint venture of regional food producers, gastronomy and tourism