Bruges Opens Canal Tour Concessions to Bidders, Ending Automatic Renewals

The city of Bruges is set to open its concessions for tourist boat tours on the historic canals, known as the Reien, to new bidders next year. For decades, these lucrative concessions have been held by the same five operators, with their permits being automatically renewed without public tender.

However, European Union regulations now mandate that these concessions must be opened up for competitive bidding. "If we don't do that, the current concessions could be legally challenged, and the operation of the boat tours could be jeopardized," explained Minou Esquenet, the city's tourism alderwoman. "We cannot take that risk."

The city plans to introduce new conditions as part of the tender process. Prospective operators will be required to provide their own mooring facilities, and they will need to specify the location they intend to use in their bids. The city is publishing a preliminary announcement to give interested parties adequate time to assess potential locations and ensure they can be licensed, allowing Bruges to evaluate the availability of proposed sites during the market consultation phase.

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If we don't do that, the current concessions could be legally challenged, and the operation of the boat tours could be jeopardized. We cannot take that risk.