| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 08/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 47 |
| Copyright: Other |
BELGIUM
Flanders will showcase its many charms at its first Travel Forum for UKoperators. Sarah Vickery finds out what’s on offer
FLANDERS-BRUSSELS Tourism is busy putting the finishing touches to plans for the first Flanders Travel Forum, which will take place in Ghent on May 14-16.The event will welcome 220 delegates and more than 50 Flemish participants and aims to raise awareness of the cities of Flanders, alongside its battlefield sites and coastline resorts.
Having decided that the Benelux Workshop was not reaping sufficient rewards, Flanders-Brussels Tourism director Patrick De Smaele considered the region strong enough to strike out on its own and host an event on home ground. “We have to provide contact between Flemish product providers and the British operators at least once a year,” he said.
UK travel trade delegates also recognise the importance of establishing contact with their Flemish counterparts. Cresta Cities brand manager Ian Ackland said: “The Forum will give us the opportunity to meet the tourist board and the product providers in Flanders and pick up on any possible areas of product development. We already feature Antwerp and Ghent in our dedicated Eurostar brochure, where they work incredibly well but we are keen to boost them to their full capacity.”
The Travel Forum programme features a panel discussion moderated by Travel Weekly deputy editor Liz Bird. The panel is made up of Fernand Brouwers of Toerisme Vlaanderen and representatives from operators and carriers including P&O North Sea Ferries and Leger Holidays.
The morning workshop will be attended by hotel chains such as Best Western and Golden Tulip; local tourist offices representing Antwerp, Brussels and Leuven, among others; and attractions including Diamondland in Antwerp and the much praised In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres. In the afternoon delegates will be able to take a walking tour of Ghent or experience a canal trip. De Smaele considers it important that operators have a chance to see the city for themselves: “This gives us an opportunity to show operators what Ghent has to offer and for them to experience Flemish hospitality.”
This view is shared by Thomson Breakaway regional and tactical development manager Lisa Goddard. “We are always looking for untapped markets and opportunities for growth,” she said. While the current Breakaway brochure does feature Ghent and Antwerp, Brussels and Bruges are given greater prominence. “The Forum will give us the opportunity to understand more about Ghent as a destination. It is a city we have been trying to develop.”
The evening programme promises to be entertaining with a cocktail party that offers delegates the chance to win a diamond, followed by a gala dinner, with ABTA president Steven Freudmann as guest of honour. “Knowing that we are not the most exotic of destinations, we have tried to combine business and fun,” said De Smaele.
Operators and carriers who have participated in the Flanders-Brussels Tourism Partners in Promotion initiative will then be recognised in an after-dinner awards ceremony.
Ghent: is hosting the first Flanders-Brussels Travel Forum
Flanders
Time difference: GMT +2hrs (summer)GMT +1hr.
Getting around: the Flanders road network is excellent and toll free. The region has good public transport and the flat terrain is ideal for cycling, with many railway stations hiring bikes. Nowhere is more than a 1hr 30mins drive from Brussels.
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Trade enquiries: 020-7458 0044. Information packs, maps and brochures available.
Brochure hotline: 020-7867 0311.