Flemish holidaymakers share more travel habits with their Dutch neighbours than with French-speaking Belgians, according to an analysis of Corendon bookings made since the beginning of the year.
Travellers from Flanders and the Netherlands tend to book earlier. Only 23% of Flemish and 22.7% of Dutch customers reserve less than 30 days before departure, compared with 32.7% in Wallonia. Almost one-third of Flemish and Dutch bookings are made at least four months in advance, versus 20.5% among Walloons.
Walloons are also more dependent on the peak summer period: 41% of their bookings are for July or August, compared with 35% in Flanders and 32% in the Netherlands. Flemish and Dutch travellers are more likely to travel during the low season.
Destination preferences differ considerably. Egypt accounts for 23.7% of Walloon bookings, but only 11.7% in Flanders and 7.6% in the Netherlands. Flemish customers favour southern Europe, with Spain and Greece jointly representing 45.1% of their bookings, compared with 30.7% in Wallonia.
Walloons select five-star hotels most frequently, followed by Flemish travellers and the Dutch. Nevertheless, Flemish customers spend the most, averaging €145 per person per night, against €141 for Dutch travellers and €129 for Walloons. Corendon attributes the lower Walloon average partly to their preference for relatively affordable destinations such as Egypt and Türkiye.
Source: Corendon through THX