Belgian travel strike disrupts 100,000 travelers

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – About 100,000 Belgians are scheduled to leave during the strike on Monday or are just returning from their trips. Thousands are already departing on Sunday. “It will cost travel agencies 5.5 million euros,” says the sector. Some travelers are still awaiting a solution.

Approximately one hundred thousand Belgians for whom March 31 was a crucial part of their trip. 

“That seems like a lot, but people travel all year round,”

says CEO Koen Van den Bosch of the Association of Flemish Travel Agencies (VVR).

“Older people, singles, and couples without children do not have to consider the school holidays. Newly formed families can also travel perfectly well during the weeks when they do not have the children.”

This affects 37,000 package travelers, prompting travel agencies to seek alternatives once it was announced that the airport would close due to the strike. Many are set to depart on Sunday.

How is the strike costing travel agencies millions?

The additional night comes at the consumer’s cost, while all other expenses are taken care of by the travel agencies. This can accumulate significantly.

“If the airlines divert their flights to the Netherlands, France or Germany, the travel agencies are responsible for the transfers,”

says Van den Bosch. 

“There are also extra costs at the destination, because the already planned transfer on Monday had already been paid for. The lost night for those who do not leave until Tuesday is also at our expense. The hotels and organizers at the destination do not care that there is already a strike here.”

According to the VVR, all these expenses, along with the additional work, total approximately 5.5 million euros for the six hundred travel agencies.

“This marks the third strike this year, totaling costs of 16 million euros. This is just the low season, and it’s clear that during peak times, the financial impact is significantly greater, which is simply unacceptable for us as an industry.”

How does this strike impact Belgium’s global reputation?

“Additionally, the impact on Belgium’s image is significant for travelers from abroad,”

Van den Bosch adds.

“We also hear this feedback from our foreign colleagues. In recent months, our country has at times been scornfully referred to as the national society of Belgian strikes. This needs to cease.”

Travelers who have booked their flights are reliant on the airline’s decisions. Most of them rapidly indicated that their flights were canceled and provided alternatives. 

What challenges do students face due to flight cancellations?

The final-year students from Site-A in Aarschot, who were supposed to travel to Malaga and Barcelona on Monday, experienced prolonged uncertainty for a long time because their airline did not cancel the flight. This situation was only resolved on Friday afternoon. They now understand that they need to depart from Amsterdam on Monday.