Americans spend most in Ghent among foreign tourists this summer

Ghent emerged as the top destination for foreign tourists in East Flanders this summer, attracting nearly 60% of the province's tourist spending. Americans led the charge, making up 40% of the spending in Ghent and 35% across the entire province. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom followed as significant sources of tourist revenue.

The analysis by payment company Worldline, which examined transactions made with foreign bank cards between late May and late August, revealed distinct spending patterns across different cities. While Gent attracted the largest volume of spending, averaging 43 euros per transaction, indicating many smaller purchases, Oudenaarde stood out for high-value transactions, with an average of 74 euros per payment. Oudenaarde's appeal drew a mix of American, Dutch, and British tourists.

Other cities like Sint-Niklaas and Aalst also saw considerable foreign spending, though with different dominant nationalities. In Sint-Niklaas, Dutch tourists were the largest group, while Americans led in Oudenaarde and Aalst. Border towns like Zelzate and Maldegem showed a strong preference for Dutch visitors, with over half of foreign spending originating from the Netherlands in these locations.

Worldline, a market leader in Belgium, based its findings on payments processed through its network. While not capturing the entire market, the data provides a strong indication of foreign tourist spending habits in East Flanders during the summer months.