| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 08/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 51 |
| Copyright: Other |
agents on the spot: belgium
In February, the Belgian Travel Service took a group of travel agents from the Midlands-basedMidconsort consortium on an educational trip to Belgium. Flying with British Midland fromBirmingham Airport, the agents spent one night in Ghent and one night in Bruges. They were taken on walking tours of both cities and visited the Sunparks complex at De Haan. We asked three agents for their impressions before and after the trip.
In February, the Belgian Travel Service took a group of travel agents from the Midlands-basedMidconsort consortium on an educational trip to Belgium. Flying with British Midland fromBirmingham Airport, the agents spent one night in Ghent and one night in Bruges. They were taken on walking tours of both cities and visited the Sunparks complex at De Haan. We asked three agents for their impressions before and after the trip.Before After
ANDY ROBERTSCLEMATIS travelbirminghamage: 24
karen veaseytana travelstratford-upon-avonage: 41
kim robertsabbott roma travelsleafordlincolnshireage: 36
Roger Blake
Liberty Travel
Oswestry, Shropshire
Age 36
I had never been to Belgium and was expecting both Bruges and Ghent to be typical medieval cities with lots of canals and old buildings. I was looking forward to trying the beers and thought there would be no shortage of pubs and restaurants, although not so many nightclubs. We were due to fly into Brussels Airport, then take the train to Ghent and I expected the transfer to be difficult. I was also under the impression that everyone spoke French.
I was really surprised to discover that the locals speak Flemish – I’d like to learn some of the language before I go again. Bruges and Ghent are very pretty and easy to get around on foot. Bruges is particularly attractive around the canals where there are some nice restaurants overlooking the water. There are lots of historic buildings and churches and we visited some good bars with excellent beers. I was pleasantly surprised by the transfer at the airport – it was very simple.
I presumed that Bruges would be a typical historic European city with a few canals thrown in and plenty of old women making lace. I expected the cost of eating and drinking to be quite expensive – at least on a par with London – and I didn’t think there would be a great deal of night life. I had sold Bruges as a destination but I wouldn’t have thought of sending clients to Ghent – I had no real picture of it.
I was quite surprised by Ghent. There’s lots going on, some excellent shops and plenty of bars that open late. I found all the cobbled streets quite hard on the feet and I think some elderly or disabled clients might find this a difficult place to get around. The centre makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time and the people are very friendly. It would be a great alternative to Paris for a romantic break,with its horse-drawn carriages and narrow streets.
I had visited Bruges once as part of a mini-cruise package so I knew what to expect, although I had spent very little time there. I had only seen it during the day and I thought it would be quiet in the evenings. I had no idea what Ghent would be like as we hadn’t really had any requests for it from customers.
Most people rave about Bruges but I thought Ghent was better because there’s more to see – I was surprised at how picturesque it is. Both towns have plenty of night life to suit all ages. The trains to and from the airport were excellent too – on time and with signs in English. I would recommend Ghent as an alternative city-break destination now. There’s more to Belgium than Bruges and Brussels.
I had been to Belgium before but only Brussels, never to Ghent or Bruges. For some reason I expected Ghent to be a fairly industrial town. Iknew what to expect from Bruges having sold a lot of breaks there in the past. It’s popular with more mature clients who want to take a short break but have done places like Paris and Amsterdam before. I had never really sold Ghent at all, so I was looking forward to finding out what it had to offer. Ithought I might be able to name five famous Belgians by the time Igot back but I still can’t!
We happened to be in town on the same day as the Belgian royal family, who the locals found very amusing – this was a good insight into the Belgian sense of humour! Ghent was a real surprise – it is a university town and more lively than Ithought it would be. It’s larger than Bruges and more suitable for younger visitors – it has some nightclubs, whereas in Bruges there are just a couple of late bars. Both towns are more suited to older visitors though. I’d go back to either for a couple of nights as they are so accessible from the UK. It’s much easier to sell them with a bit of knowledge -Êespecially Ghent.