Around 29% of private Belgian enterprises with at least 50 employees are active in the meetings, incentives, conferences and events sector (40,400 seminars, 12,100 conferences and 6,900 incentives were organised in 2004). 

The main industry sectors are Car, Chemical, Finance and Pharmaceutical. 

Key characteristics of corporate travel

• Short lead-in times of between one and three months 
• Small group sizes of 20 employees (seminars), 60 (conferences) and 45 (incentives)
• 2 - 3 nights length of stay and a seasonal spread between September and April
• The most popular means of transport is the car (please note that the primary destination for the Belgian market is Belgium itself) followed by the aeroplane and the train
• 4 - 5 star city centre hotels are Belgian business travellers’ preferred accommodation with daily budgets considerably varying per person   

In recent years the Belgian economy has not been performing very well. The Pound is still very strong and this explains why the most popular destinations for business events are Belgium, France and then the Netherlands.

Market Trends/Insights 
Britain is nevertheless a popular destination with many companies already having organised corporate events there. These events seem to be business-led conferences or meetings rather than incentives but Britain is also generally considered as an excellent destination for quick getaways or long weekend breaks.

Britain, however, is still perceived as an expensive destination. Therefore, the quality of services offered and the original ’round the corner’ facilities that differentiate greatly from the continent, should be emphasised.

The geographical proximity between Britain and Belgium and the excellent Eurostar services together with increased and competitive airline connections are enhancing the number of day trips with no overnight stay. 

London and Scotland are the most popular destinations. They are viewed as well known and highly recommended destinations offering culture, heritage, entertainment and plenty of unusual activities. They offer good quality accommodation and the accessibility to both has been recently increased (due to faster Eurostar connection and additional flights to Scotland). Wales and the English regions, are much less known and are harder to get to, but they offer a change of pace and are perceived as original destinations offering value for money, safety and good hospitality with fewer visitors.

How can you target the Belgian market?
VisitBritain offers a variety of activities that can help UK suppliers target the Belgian market. Click here to find out more about the US Business Tourism Marketing Opportunities organised for 2006/07.

This is just one of many articles relating to the business tourism sector that are published each month in the Business Tourism E-Newsletter, which you can sign up to receive. Click here to find out more.