“We changed our strategy 45 years ago. Rather than targeting nationalities, such as the French, Belgians or Spanish, we are now targeting a public that corresponds to our tourism offering,” explained (DP), minister for the economy, SMEs, energy and tourism, on Monday 30 September, when presenting the results of Luxembourg’s 2024 tourism season.
And it is by implementing this strategy--through advertising campaigns or going to dedicated trade fairs--that Luxembourg as a tourist destination is seeing its efforts bear fruit. “The ‘Lëtzebuerg, dat ass Vakanz!’ campaign, the many hiking trails, the Vëlosummer and a wide range of tourist activities and offers have boosted the destination’s appeal, particularly among Luxembourg residents. In fact, the number of stays by residents in tourist accommodation has risen by 32% compared to 2019, underlining the growing interest in domestic tourism,” said the minister.
Camping sector affected by the weather
The number of residents who are tourists in their own country has been rising steadily since 2015. More generally, overnight stays in hotels rose by 5% between January and July 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 1,110,625 nights. In addition, the number of arrivals rose by 4%, and in the capital the occupancy rate exceeded 71%.
On the other hand, the camping sector was affected by the difficult weather conditions, recording a 17% fall in overnight stays in the first half of the year compared with 2023. However, this performance is still 11% higher than the figures for 2019. Forecasts for August 2024 show a slight recovery, with an occupancy rate of 86%.
By country, the top three arrivals are: the Netherlands (271,641), Germany (231,891) and Belgium (227,980). In terms of overnight stays, Belgium loses the third place position to Luxembourg: overnight stays were dominated by visitors from the Netherlands (987,812), followed by people from Germany (522,088) and Luxembourg (473,681).
Business tourism back on track
The Bettembourg Parc Merveilleux remains the country’s most visited destination, with 247,982 visitors recorded between January and August 2024 alone. Vianden Castle (198,895 visitors) and the Mullerthal Trail (160,269 visitors) also rank among the most visited tourist attractions. As part of the 11th five-Year Plan (2023-2027), a budget of €70m has been allocated. Since January 2023, 115 projects have been approved, representing a total of €9.1m.
Business tourism has also returned to a higher level than in the pre-covid period. “Congress tourism accounts for 16% of overnight stays, and overnight stays to meet a client or hold a business meeting in Luxembourg for 8%, giving a rate of 24% for overall business tourism,” added Delles. Other figures: 55% of tourists arrive in Luxembourg by car, 17% by train, 13-14% by plane, 9% by camper van and 1% by bicycle.
This article was originally published in .