In 2023, visit.brussels developed and promoted a whole series of flagship tourism products that together promoted cultural discovery, sustainable tourism and tourism decentralisation. The Brussels Card was at the heart of this dynamic, with 2023 seeing a record 20,000 copies sold, providing easy access to museums and attractions at reduced prices. It is a testament to visit.brussels' commitment to an enriching and accessible tourist experience. 

The development of City Life products and experiences aims to offer visitors authentic and varied local experiences. In 2023, visit.brussels' actions in this area were illustrated by flagship initiatives such as the deployment of Greeters, the launch of the Volume Pass, the strengthening and promotion of the district offer and the promotion of Brussels' gastronomic offering. Activities linked to the deployment of Greeters was a great success, with 428 walks organised in their company (compared with 333 in 2022). These walks received an excellent satisfaction rate of 99.15%. The Volume Pass, meanwhile, allows visitors to experience the full wealth of Brussels nightlife at a reasonable price. In 2023, visit.brussels' development of City Life products and experiences also involved the promotion of local gastronomic delights in Brussels, including the famous Best Shrimp Croquette competition, the awarding of our "Brusselicious" label recognising the best local cuisine in our capital (awarded to 36 Brussels establishments), and the creation of a Best Brussels Beer Bar label targeting some seven establishments.

In 2023, visit.brussels actively promoted Brussels on the international scene with a dynamic strategy of press actions and collaboration with international bloggers. In total, almost 3,100 print articles and 6,700 online articles about Brussels as a tourist destination were published in Belgium in 2023, for a total media value of over €65,200,000 and an audience of 570 million people. To encourage Belgians to visit Brussels too, three press partnerships were signed with French-speaking media (RTBF tv - Les ambassadeurs, RTL tv - la Grande Balade) and Dutch-speaking media (VRT radio - MNM Summertime).

To promote the image of Brussels and enhance its international appeal, visit.brussels orchestrated over 100 press trips, welcoming 389 journalists. Guests included media such as The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, TV5 Monde, TF1, Libération, Le Figaro and Il Corriere della Sera. These initiatives aimed to showcase the dynamism of local players in our destination through press trips that prioritised sustainable means of transport such as the STIB or the train, to limit the carbon footprint.

With regard to the visit.brussels digital ecosystem, the association introduced a differentiated content approach according to the audience, enabling a more personalised customer experience. In 2023, visit.brussels also translated the content of the web portal for B2C visitors and most of the content for B2B audiences into Spanish and Italian. visit.brussels is also aiming to capture the hearts of a new audience with the launch of its TikTok account, on which more than 100 videos have already been posted. 

In 2023, visit.brussels organised several major events to highlight the important role played by all its partners and provide them with the most relevant information possible. Among these events, the visit.brussels Awards took centre stage as they celebrated excellence in six categories, ranging from Brussels' international influence to digital innovation, sustainable initiatives and bold new projects. The event brought together 180 guests at Belgian Beer World, with 82 applications submitted and 73 accepted, highlighting the diversity and wealth of the Region's tourism initiatives. With 9,500 voters involved in electing the winners, this event underlined the importance of collaboration between partners and the active role played by the public and professionals in promoting tourism in Brussels.

The visit.brussels Activation Day 2023 was also an opportunity for partners to discover the projects implemented by visit.brussels. The visit.brussels Meet Day aimed to bring all the players in the tourism industry together for a major networking event. The visit.brussels Open Day was an opportunity to showcase visit.brussels' services and strategy. Lastly, the visit.brussels Co-Creation Day took place in December 2023 as a co-creation event between visit.brussels and its tourism and cultural partners. During this day, visit.brussels and all its partners worked together not only to enhance our tourism and cultural activities, but also to develop concrete, relevant actions that meet the needs and expectations expressed by visitors and partners. 

In addition, over the course of the year, the organisation of around 20 roundtables with specific sectors or with Brussels municipalities enabled targeted, in-depth exchanges, resulting in effective collaboration, partnerships and outcomes tailored to the specific needs of Brussels' sectors or municipalities and also promoting the decentralisation of tourism in the Region.

The visit.brussels Academy's Brussels Experts training course, aimed at hotel receptionists in 2023, provided expertise and in-depth training on tourist attractions, cultural activities and local initiatives, improving their ability to promote the Brussels tourism experience.

Where appropriate, this ongoing work to support partners is carried out in consultation, collaboration and co-organisation with professional federations in the sectors concerned and with other existing PIOs (perspective.brussels, hub.brussels, urban.brussels, etc.).

: visit.brussels exploited Brussels' strategic position at the heart of Europe to establish key partnerships with international carriers, with a view to amplifying the impact and reach of its actions. These collaborations included an exchange contract with Brussels Airlines, close cooperation with Brussels Airport, partnerships with Eurostar and the inauguration of the Berlin-Brussels night train service in collaboration with European Sleeper. These initiatives aim to bolster the transport offer to Brussels, thus reinforcing its status as a major rail hub and facilitating access to the capital for international visitors. This demonstrates visit.brussels' commitment to making the city even more accessible, sustainable and attractive for global tourism.

The partnerships with carriers were exploited to target Travel Trade players (tour operators, travel agencies, etc.) in markets linked to Brussels. This led to the organisation of  famtrips and the very first "Brussels - Your European Train Hub" event for customers in the tourism sector, in collaboration with different railway companies. The event included a workshop with Brussels partners and site visits to promote Brussels as a European rail hub. A total of ten site visits were organised for the French, German, Dutch, South Korean and Spanish markets. The destination was also promoted through a number of marketing campaigns...