Brussels set an all-time record last year, with almost 10 million overnight stays, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 before the COVID crisis.
This was revealed at a gala evening which celebrated a record year and key players in the Brussels tourism and congress sector.
On Thursday 3 April, the first edition of visit.brussels Night was held at Mix in Watermael-Boitsfort.
This new event is the result of a merger of two flagship soirées: the visit.brussels Awards Night and the Brussels Business Events Ambassadors Night.
Now under the same banner, the two events have merged to give greater prominence to all the players who contribute to Brussels’ reputation in both leisure and business tourism.
The evening was also an opportunity for the tourism sector to celebrate an “exceptional year.”
This performance confirms, said the organisers, the resilience and growing attractiveness of the capital for both leisure and business tourism.
The evening also saw the presentation of the visit.brussels Awards, which recognise the most innovative cultural and tourism initiatives of the year, and the honouring of the Business Events Ambassadors, who have played a key role in hosting international conferences in the capital.
The visit.brussels Awards aim to showcase initiatives “that make Brussels shine.”
After a selection process combining public voting and deliberation by a panel of professionals, six creative and inspiring projects were rewarded in different categories, based on criteria such as originality, innovation, inclusiveness and sustainability.
These are the winners of the 2025 visit.brussels Awards by category:
1.Brussels International Icon Award Anima Festival – Folioscope asbl/vzw
- Brussels Best Smart Experience Award Stoclet 1911 – urban.brussels
- Brussels Best Co-creation Award MolenFest – Molenbeek for Brussels 2030 asbl/vzw
- Brussels Treasure Award: Exhibition – A Century of Belgian Comics – Comic Strip Museum
- Brussels’ Digital Content Creator of The Year Award (category subject to public vote only). Belge une fois
- Brussels Best Reviews Award by MMGY-TCI Research (category not subject to public vote or jury vote) Hungry Mary Food Tours Brussels Business Events Ambassadors: the driving forces behind Brussels’ international reputation
Brussels has become a key centre for international business events.
As one of the world’s leading cities for hosting congresses of international associations, it benefits from a dynamism reinforced by the ambassadors programme.
Since its launch in 2017, this programme has helped to host 135 international congresses, attracting more than 300,000 trade visitors and generating €250 million in economic spin-offs for the destination. This year, 13 organisers of major business events in 2024 have been awarded Brussels Business Events Ambassadors
A spokesman said, “The capital now has a unique opportunity to salute those who, through their commitment and creativity, help to make Brussels a must-see destination for visitors and professionals from all over the world.”
