More and more Dutch companies are opting for ‘green meetings’ in combination with a team-building activity, reports Helene Visser, Tourism Belgium’s trade manager for Wallonia & Brussels, during a network meeting in Amsterdam.
In addition to more demand for green meetings, business travel offerings have also grown and become more diverse. ‘When I joined here 15 years ago, you really had to search for a suitable hotel,’ says Visser.
Visser calls Brussels the capital of meetings, incentives, conferences and events. ‘In Wallonia and the Ardennes there are beautiful gems of castles. So you can get away from it all while still doing business.’ The offer in this has also grown. ‘In Belgium they have become good at breathing new life into historic buildings and turning them into beautiful, new conference spaces.’ As an example Visser refers to the Chateau Jemeppe in the Ardennes, which has been renovated and now serves as a venue for congresses, seminars and conferences, among other things.
The most popular activity of the Dutch business traveler is Belgian “gourmet tours,” Visser says. These are walks, including a guide, where the customer tastes all kinds of Belgian delicacies, such as waffles, chocolate and various beers.
This year, Belgium is dedicated to cycling. In the East Cantons in particular, this is already widely done. ‘You can just cycle around the area around your accommodation, but also trek from hotel to hotel. Take the Vennbahn route in the East Cantons; here, in particular, the ‘trips without luggage’ are also organized, where your suitcases are sent ahead to the next place of accommodation.’
Photo to right: Nikoline van der Werf and Helene Visser.
