Brussels Airport, Belgium’s biggest international aviation hub, receives 70,000 to 80,000 international travellers a day. On 21 July, as Belgium celebrates its National Day, the airport shared which souvenirs sell best at its boutiques.
Belgium is known for its delicious chocolate around the globe and it may thus not come as a surprise that international tourists are most interested in taking home some fine Belgian chocolates while waiting for their plane at the airport. Chocolate products account for as much as a third of all sales at the airport. Every minute, 1.5 kilograms of the chocolate are sold at Brussels Airport – yearly, this amounts to no less than 850 tonnes. This makes the airport, in partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium, the biggest chocolate outlet in the world.
When looking at which chocolates are selling best, chocolate manufacturer Neuhaus comes out at the top of the list. Customers especially like to put together their own selection of sweets at the counter, allowing them to make a personal mix fit for their tastebuds. The Leonidas milk chocolate tablet with hazelnuts comes in second, while Leonidas’ milk chocolate tablet with salted caramel completes the top three. Whether or not this ranking will continue to be the same next year, remains to be seen, as a new shop called The Chocolate Shack by West Flemish chocolatier Dominique Persoone has just opened in July 2025, allowing travellers to create and personalise their own chocolate snack.
Belgitude
Aside from chocolate, comics-related accessories sell well too at Brussels Airport. Tintin and his dog Snowy, comic book characters created by Belgian cartoonist Hergé, are especially popular with visitors from around the world. Within the comics category, the Tintin carrier bag is the airport’s best-selling souvenir. A Snowy plush toy and key rings of the iconic duo complete the top three of most popular souvenirs. Smurf-themed souvenirs – imagined by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo – also figure within the top ten of non-food products.
As the gateway to Belgium, Brussels Airport tries to be a proud ambassador of the ‘Belgitude’. Info panels at the security screening provide facts about famous Belgians in music, fashion, and sports, while various spots around the airport display photos of Belgium’s most beautiful cities and landmarks, thus giving tourists a first taste of what they can expect.
Its Belgian ambassadorship is also reflected by the daily 3,000 glasses of Belgian beer that are served at the airport, by a concept store selling Belgian designer clothes called ‘The Wave’, and by the presence of Belgian brands and concepts such as Le Pain Quotidien, Exki, Panos, Belle & Belge, Belgorama, and Java throughout.
