Belgian organizations join forces to attract tourists

21/4/17

Tourists who want to visit Belgium, now have one convenient and advantageous travel formula, the Hi Belgium Pass. Hi Belgium Pass is the result of a unique cooperation between Brussels Airlines, Brussels Airport, the Belgian Railways and several tourist offices, cities and attractions. With the Pass, tourists can fly from 50 European cities to Brussels Airport, from where they can take unlimited train rides to Belgian cities and visit a wealth of tourist attractions for free.

After the attacks of 22 March the number of tourists visiting Belgium has decreased significantly. In the past months, several governments, action groups and companies have launched campaigns to restore the image of Belgium.

On the initiative of Brussels Airlines, several Belgian organizations have now joined forces to create a travel product that focuses on European tourists who want to take a weekend trip in Belgium. With the Hi Belgium Pass, planning a weekend trip to Belgium becomes a breeze and is more attractive than ever.

The Hi Belgium Pass is an initiative of Brussels Airlines, Brussels Airport, the Belgian Railways, tourist offices (Toerisme Vlaanderen, Visit Brussels, Belgique-Wallonie, Brussels Museum Council), the cities of Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Luik and Mechelen and several tourist attractions. All these partners have made a significant contribution to make the pass as interesting as possible.

For only 149 euro, Hi Belgium Pass travelers can fly with Brussels Airlines from 50 airports in 18 different countries to Brussels Airport (Check&Go ticket). From there they can take unlimited train rides to different Belgian cities, where they have free access to a wealth of tourist attractions (musea, guided tours, etc.). The only choice the visitor has to make is which two cities he or she wants to visit.

Hi Belgium Pass travelers can fly in on Thursday, Friday or Saturday and leave on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. The offer is valid throughout the year. The pass is available for tourists from Germany, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The Hi Belgium Pass can easily be booked via brusselsairlines.com

It is the first time that the important tourist operators of Belgium work together to promote their country abroad with a concrete travel product. In the near future other cities will join the initiative. The partners will promote the Hi Belgium Pass via marketing campaigns, their own communication channels and their representatives abroad.

“With the Hi Belgium Pass we put Belgium on the map more than ever”, says Brussels Airlines CEO Bernard Gustin. “One year after 22 March, we still see a need to attract foreign tourists to our country. I thank all partners who support the initiative and who have made great efforts in order to be able to offer an interesting travel product. The aim is to continue to grow the Pass in the coming months by adding new cities to the list. This is the start of an even stronger cooperation in our country.”

Bernard Gustin, CEO of Brussels Airlines

“the Hi Belgium Pass is an excellent opportunity for tourists to discover Belgium by train. A quarter of all passengers at Brussels Airport already uses the train to travel from and to the airport. The station Brussels Airport is situated under the airport and has direct connections to no less than 83 Belgian stations. The large stations are all very near to historic city centers, which makes the most important touristic destinations easily accessible by train.3

Sophie Dutordoir, CEO NMBS

Our hospitality, our impressive sports performance and our culinary and artistic talents are important assets that contribute to Belgium's reputation. Often we are too modest to admit it. A strong selection of partners has joined forces to promote these Belgian assets in the rest of Europe, with the Hi Belgium Pass. Without hesitation, Brussels Airport has joined this initiative because it fits in with our main objective to offer a high quality service to our passengers and let them discover our legendary hospitality."

Arnaud Feist, CEO Brussels Airport

“This unique weekend product is a win-win situation for international tourists as well as our tourism industry. On top of it, the Hi Belgium Pass gives a boost to our reputation and the tourist flow towards our country. The pass is an extra promotion opportunity for our tourism providers who can link their own offer or campaign. With 4.6% of our gross national product, tourism is one of the most important sectors in our country. With this kind of offer and this kind of cooperation we can more than ever make a difference. We at Visit Flanders can only encourage this initiative. We put our shoulders under the international promotion of the Hi Belgium Pass and thank all partners for their contribution. "

Peter De Wilde, General Administrator Visit Flanders

“The governments of Brussels and Brussels Airlines have always put much effort in the promotion of the capital of 500 million Europeans. I want to congratulate everyone who contributed to the Hi Belgium Pass, an initiative that strengthens us even more. This product will undoubtedly further contribute to the tourism dynamics of Brussels and will further highlight the attractiveness of our capital. "

- Philippe Close, Brussels alderman for Tourism