US tourists were the biggest foreign spenders in Belgium this summer, accounting for nearly a quarter of all foreign spending recorded between the end of June and the end of August, according to data published last week by payment service provider Worldline.
The country has certainly come a long way since Donald Trump famously described Brussels as a “hellhole” in 2016 and mistakenly referred to Belgium as a “beautiful city” later that year. A decade and a series of tariff threats later, Americans cannot seem to get enough of the place. If insults and geographical gaffes count as publicity, Trump may have done more for tourism in Belgium than any advertising campaign. Brace for the invoice.
This summer, Americans accounted for 23.5% of all foreign spending recorded in Belgium. France came second, followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg. Germany and Austria came in sixth and seventh place, respectively.
In Belgium, US tourists were the biggest foreign spenders in Brussels and Flanders, while French visitors topped the rankings in Wallonia. American dominance was particularly striking in the capital, where they accounted for 42.7% of foreign payments.
The report distinguishes between overall spending and spending per purchase. While Americans spent the most overall, they were not the biggest spenders per transaction. This accolade goes to the Austrians, who spent an average of €127 per transaction, followed by Chinese tourists (€99) and Luxembourgers (€85).
Brussels recorded the highest number of payments with foreign cards, ahead of Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. But the biggest individual purchases were made along the Belgian coast, where foreign visitors spent an average of €61 per transaction.
Knokke-Heist, Belgium’s answer to the Riviera, recorded the highest average spend at €70, followed by De Haan at €67 and Ostend at €65.
Almost half of all purchases made by foreign visitors were for shopping, including chocolate and souvenirs, but also jewellery, clothing and books.
Belgium’s coast enjoys a record summer
The figures come as the Belgian coast celebrates its best summer since the Covid pandemic, continuing a broader shift towards northern European destinations as travellers increasingly seek “coolcations” away from the heatwaves and wildfires that have repeatedly hit Mediterranean destinations during the summer months.
Situated on the North Sea, with temperatures usually cooler than inland, the Belgian coast welcomed an estimated 11.2 million overnight stays during July and August, nearly 10% more than last summer.
“The summer of 2026 was a triumph for the Belgian coast. From June onwards, the summer feeling was in full swing and it persisted throughout the holiday”, said Jurgen Vanlerberghe, West Flanders provincial deputy for tourism and chair of the tourism agency Westtoer.
July alone saw 5.6 million overnight stays, with August expected to reach a similar figure. The coast also welcomed an estimated 6.1 million day trippers over the two months, the highest figure since the pandemic.
This successful summer concludes a record year for Belgian tourism overall. In 2025, the country registered more than 46.1 million overnight stays, marking a 2.9% year-on-year increase. Foreign demand grew even faster, with overnight stays by international visitors up 4%.
Last year, Americans were Belgium’s fifth-largest foreign market, accounting for over 1.1 million overnight stays, behind visitors from the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. While US tourists may not be Belgium’s most numerous visitors, they certainly leave behind a disproportionate amount of money.
