Rich tourist and cultural life
Bruges is the ideal destination for a city trip. The city regularly pops up on top-10 lists of absolute must-sees. For example, Bruges scored 8th place in the 'small cities world' category in the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller's 2023 Reader's Choice Awards. Its city centre, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and impressive collections from Flemish Masters appeal to visitors from all over the world.
Tourism as an engine for the economy
Tourism is an important economic pillar for the city. An average of 8.3 million visitors descend upon Bruges each year. They book about 1.9 million nights in 3,750 hotel rooms. The local hospitality industry likes to pamper them. Tourism employs about 6,000 people.
Assets for the business segment
Bruges is also a dream location for residential meetings, incentives and conferences. Its unique heritage makes a business visit to the city memorable. In 2019, residential seminars amounted to 10% of all overnight stays (*). We are nurturing healthy growth ambitions within this segment. The new business locations undoubtedly contribute to this.
Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre
The new Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre officially opened in December 2021. Through this, the city is aiming to focus even more on residential meetings and conferences. The modern building has 4,500m² of exhibition space, including a conference centre with a maximum capacity of 516 people.
With its historic centre, art heritage and this specialist structure, Bruges is the ideal location for your conference. Visit Bruges Convention Bureau will be glad to provide you with no-obligation information and advice.
Concertgebouw Brugge
Since its opening in 2002, Concertgebouw Brugge has been an icon: it is one of the 1001 buildings in the world to see before you die. Its renowned architecture, fantastic acoustics, extensive art collection and enviable programming make it a whole year long a vibrant meeting place for concerts and dance lovers. The beautiful contemporary rooms are also an inspiring environment for conferences and meetings. The Concertgebouw can be visited both in the evening and during the day.
BRUSK exhibition space
Musea Brugge is showcasing art and heritage of absolute world class at 13 locations in the city centre. BRUSK fills the need for a suitable exhibition space for old and contemporary art in the heart of Bruges' Museum Quarter. At the same time, it also creates space for the preservation and research of our rich art collection. But BRUSK will be more than an exhibition site – it will be a new creative and artistic 'hub' in the city, where full sustainability, architectural innovation and harmony are paramount. BRUSK is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2025.
In addition, there will be a research centre (Musea Brugge Centre for Collection Research) with a museum library and space for Musea Brugge's scientific operations. You will also find the Groeninge Museum and accompanying chapel on the site. All these elements are located in the museum park, which will become a new, green, public meeting place in Bruges. Ideal for meetings and corporate events.
Bruges Provincial Palace
The Provincial Palace was built on the location of the former Waterhalle, where ships would load and unload their wares. Today, the current neogothic complex is an iconic part of Bruges’ Market Square. It is a wonderful work of art, its interior richly decorated with coats of arms, stained glass windows and statues which point to the city and the region’s rich past and the administrative function of the building.
The Provincial Palace has been completely renovated. The renovations include the addition of three new lifts to increase accessibility. Also changes have been made to the building in order to conserve energy and boost sustainability, such as modernisation of lighting and installation of under-floor heating. Based on the three-seat principle, the maximum capacity is 220 people. There are four breakout rooms which can also be hired independently as meeting rooms and can accommodate between 20 and 100 people theatre-style. Will you discover how the special heritage experience can take your meeting to the next level too?
Easily accessible
In addition, there are many options for travelling to Bruges. Direct connections by train and bus from the main transport hubs and several other European cities allow for smooth travel into and out of the city.
(*) Source: FPS figures (Bruges, excluding Zeebrugge!)