On December 5, the Brussels Tourist Board and the Walloon Region of the Belgian Tourist Board held a panel discussion and networking event in Tokyo on the theme “The Assets of Our Defined Destinations. The theme of the panel discussion and networking event was “The value of our destinations”. The event was held on the occasion of a visit to Japan by an economic delegation led by the Belgian Royal Family.
The panelist was Pascal Smet, Secretary of State of the Government of Metropolitan Brussels and Minister for Europe and International Relations and Foreign Trade. He said, “Brussels is a cosmopolitan city, where 70% of its 1.2 million inhabitants are minorities. The city is permeated with minority culture and always welcomes travelers in a friendly manner,” he said, emphasizing that Brussels’ central location in the heart of Europe makes it easily accessible by air, high-speed rail, and bus from neighboring countries. He said that Brussels is currently served by flights from 185 cities in 80 countries.
Brussels International Airport Aviation Marketing Manager Tania Tollosepianz also stressed that “Brussels Airport is the hub of Europe. She revealed that the number of passengers has now recovered to 80% of the pre-Corona level.
At the seminar, Mr. Smet also introduced the latest information on Brussels. Brussels is famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, and in 2023, as the Art Nouveau Year, various exhibitions and events will be held, including the opening of buildings that were previously closed to the public.
Also in 2023, BEER WORLD will open in the former stock exchange in Brussels. Visitors will be able to take a tour to learn about beer brewing, and at the end of the tour, they will be able to taste beer.In 2024, the Canal Pompidou Center, an annex to the Pompidou Center in Paris, which opened tentatively in 2018, will officially open. In addition, a museum of the famous Belgian cartoon character “Le Chat” the cat will be opened.
Damien Daum, consultant for the Walloon Region of the Belgian Tourist Board, introduced the Walloon region’s attractions, which include a tour of old castles from Mons to Liège, and Dinan, which boasts a wonderful landscape.
Mr. Dohme was also previously the head of the Walloon Brussels Japan office of the Belgian Tourist Board, and has played a role in the promotion of Belgian beer. He expressed his confidence that “Belgium has a wide range of beers, from sweet fruit beers with low alcohol content to dark beers, which can be enjoyed by all kinds of people,” and also appealed that the last event of “Belgian Beer Weekend,” which has been held since 2010, will be held in Shinjuku until December 11, 2022. The last event of the Belgian Beer Weekend, held since 2010, will be held in Shinjuku until December 11, 2022.
Panelist Frederick Mazenck, Chairman of the Council of Foreign National Tourist Offices in Japan (ANTOR-JAPAN), also commented on the current state of the Japanese travel industry, saying, “It is true that overseas travel is becoming more expensive from the Japanese perspective,” as the cost of airline tickets, lodging, and restaurants increases due to high global prices and the continued depreciation of the yen. He explained the current state of the Japanese travel industry.
As the ratio of repeat travelers and affluent seniors is increasing as a trend in international travel, he said, “In order to sell, the industry must provide suitable offers to these people.
Regarding sustainable tourism, which is attracting increasing attention worldwide, he pointed out that “in Japan, it is not yet a major industry, so much so that people say, ‘If it is not sustainable, I will not go. However, he noted that the nature and green tourism are attracting attention due to Corona, and that “there is a trend to seek friendly travel for people and tourism, so we have to respond to this trend as a destination.
Tomoko Sugaya, President of ANA Akindo, who is in charge of marketing and sales for the ANA Group, also mentioned SDGs and sustainable tourism. She said, “It is possible that companies will visit Brussels in Europe to learn about advanced case studies. We would like to accept such requests.
Regarding future travel demand, he said, “It tends to change a lot with the government’s mindset. When regulations are deregulated, travelers will move in that direction. We would like to promote travel in cooperation with the government.
ANA opened a Narita-Brussels route in October 2015 but is currently out of service. Mr. Sugaya declined to say, “Our hope is to fly direct next year, but since we are talking about the future, we are talking about ……. He added, “There will be a big event in Brussels in 2023 and 2012, so I hope everyone will support us so that we can fly direct.” He then introduced flights via Brussels, saying, “Even if you don’t fly direct, you can still enter Brussels via other cities in Europe.
ANA is currently operating 10 round-trip flights on the Narita – Brussels route during the winter timetable (December 2, 2022 – January 11, 2023) as extra flights on limited days of the week. The schedule after that has not yet been decided.
© Source travel watch
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