What kind of tourism growth expectations do you foresee from the India market?
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Karl Van den Bossche
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Belgium is already quite well known to the Indian traveller. In 2012, we registered close to 100,000 overnight stays from Indian travellers in Belgium. It is interesting to note that more Belgian visas are delivered by the Consulate General in Mumbai than in any other place in the world (35,000 in 2012, roughly 20 per cent of all Belgian visa issued worldwide). Leisure and business are the main reasons for travel, but we notice that visiting friends and relatives plays a major role as well. This comes as no surprise given the sizeable Indian community living in Belgium. The Indian traveller mainly goes to Antwerp and Brussels, but we see a growing interest in other Belgian art cities and also the countryside. These numbers have been growing over the years, but I see a large potential for further increase given India’s economic and demographic development both for MICE as for leisure travelling.
How would the recent visit of the power delegation from Belgium attribute in reaching the objective?
The Belgian Economic Mission presided over by HRH Princess Astrid brought the largest Belgian delegation ever to India – 344 delegates. The main focus was on business sectors such as cleantech, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, etc, but also academic opportunities and tourism played an important role. The tourism agencies of our Flanders and Brussels regions participated, hosting different events in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The focus was not only on the tourism opportunities in general, but also on luxury travel, gastronomy, fashion and the commemoration of the First World War. Moreover during the mission a unique exhibition titled ‘Flemish Masters from Antwerp’ was inaugurated in Mumbai at the CSMVS (formerly Prince of Wales) museum.
Any new off-beat attraction that would be of interest to draw Indian visitors?
2014-2018 will mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War. A range of events in Belgium, as in other concerned countries, will commemorate the tragic events of a century ago. It is not always known that thousands of Indian soldiers participated in the war and fought and perished in Flanders Fields. Therefore India will play an active role in the commemoration events.
Apart from Brussels and Bruges, which are the other cities/ destinations of tourist interest?
Mainly Brussels and Antwerp are well known to the Indian public. Bruges was traditionally less known to Indian travellers. However this is changing, and the upcoming new movie of Rajkumar Hirani, partly shot in Bruges, will undoubtedly contribute to this. Then there are a range of other destinations well worth a visit. The lively art cities of Ghent and Leuven for instance, or for nature and outdoor sports lovers the coast and Ardennes hills. I can also mention the Tintin museum in Louvain-la-Neuve, close to Brussels. And there is much more.
Any major event/ festival (cultural, literary, gastronomic, etc)?
Apart from the upcoming First World War commemoration, currently a major cultural festival puts India in the spotlight. Europalia.india was opened on October 4, 2013 by president Mukherjee and King Philip of Belgium. Until January 26, 2014 it will bring India to the hearth of Europe, with a range of exhibitions, concerts, dance and theatre performances, conferences, cinema and literature events all over Belgium. Of course there are also numerous music, culinary and other events, such as the famous dance festival Tomorrowland.
