Flanders touristic assets branded at Brussels Airport

In the next 3 years, 75 million travellers at Brussels Airport will be met with a brand-new experience project dedicated to the tourist highlights of Flanders. At various places in the airport’s 2 piers, experience displays were set up around the themes of Flemish Masters, gastronomy and cycling. These showcases of Flemish culture will be opened by Minister of Tourism Ben Weyts, Peter De Wilde, CEO of VISITFLANDERS and Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.

“Brussels Airport is the international and intercontinental gateway to Flanders. We wish to welcome foreign visitors who arrive through the airport with the best that Flanders has to offer. And we wish to motivate departing passengers to come back. For this, we are making use of our strongest tourist highlights. Just think of the world-famous Flemish Masters, with which we position ourselves as the cradle of much European art and culture. Our displays show the finest of Flemish culture”, says Minister of Tourism Ben Weyts.

Art and culture are, for more than a 1/3^rd of all tourists, the most important criteria when choosing their holiday destination. 40% also take into account the food culture of a destination. And also our unique cycling culture can attract enthusiasts from around the world to Flanders. All these tourism assets can be found in the experience displays in Pier A and Pier B. The passengers will learn about Rubens, Brueghel and Van Eyck, talented chefs, brewers, chocolatiers, regional products and cycling history. Passengers who arrive at Pier B pass beneath a colourful display of art on their way to the exit.

“In the next 3 years, some 75 million arriving and departing passengers will discover, both at the start and the end of their visit, what makes Flanders so special as a tourist destination. At the same time, we hope that our fellow countrymen, with these highlights in mind, will feel true ambassadors of Flanders when they are abroad”, says Peter De Wilde, CEO VISITFLANDERS.

Brussels Airport wants to offer passengers a unique experience during their time at the airport. In the terminal, several elements reflect our comic book culture and art. Fashion-lovers can find the premium Belgian labels in our shops. In the restaurants, passengers can enjoy our typical regional dishes. The airport also offers a wide variety of beers and chocolate, the best-selling articles with tourists.

“The initiative of VISITFLANDERS and Minister Ben Weyts shows passengers various elements which have defined our identity and history. Passengers can not only get to know more about our most celebrated artists, regional products or sports history. They can even experience our rich culture from close quarters by, for example, getting behind the frame of a painting or taking the win on the Flemish cobblestones”, explains Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.