The fine spring weather during this half-term break means seaside resorts are bustling. It’s a real windfall for the tourism sector on the coast. In the popular resort of Blankenberge on average hotels are 70 per cent full. The tourism office is also unusually busy for the time of year: ‘This looks like August’ says an enthusiastic official.
Day-trippers and holidaymakers enjoy glorious sunshine on the Flemish Riviera
Colin Clapson
Published:
The beautiful weather in the half-term break - termed ‘crocus holiday’ in Flanders - is a boon for coastal tourism as sunshine is encouraging a lot of people to make the trip to the seaside for the day or even longer. A family from Zottegem (East Flanders - pictured) arrives at Blankenberge station. ‘We are going to the beach and will be riding a go-cart too,’ says the family.
Alain Croes rents out go-carts and bicycles and is delighted. ‘We are lucky to have the fine weather. We stay at work a bit longer every day because the weather keeps getting better. We are hugely dependent on the weather. It's always nice when the tourist season gets off to a good start. In any case, this is much more fun than sitting here pouting because nobody turns up because of the rain.’
The Tourism Information Point has also been particularly busy for several days now. Céline Claeys, head of the Blankenberge Tourism Department: ‘The past five days, we had 750 visitors a day. That's as many as in August. Our hotels have an average occupancy rate of 70 per cent in the current holiday.’
Over the next few days, it will remain sunny and get even milder. Seppe Kamoens of Alfa Inn Hotel: ‘The carnival and the crocus holidays bring a lot of people to Blankenberge. Given the weather forecast, we can expect extra bookings in the coming days. Too bad the beach bars aren't in place yet. Because otherwise we would already have seen bikinis on the beach!’
And what could be nicer than being able to enjoy a pavement café as early as the beginning of March? This lady is enjoying a cuppa in the sun. ‘This does a lot of good. Give us more days like this, I would say. It is very busy here, as people yearn for the sun.