Pass Visit Wallonia: 130,000 Sign-Ups, Discounts Unused
Wallonia’s flagship tourism initiative, the Pass Visit Wallonia, has crossed 130,000 registered users — but new data reveals a stark gap between sign-ups and actual usage. Only about 20,000 users are considered active, and discount redemptions at some of the region’s most popular attractions represent as little as 2% of total visitor numbers, according to RTBF.
A Program Transformed
The Pass Visit Wallonia was launched in 2020 as an emergency post-COVID recovery measure, distributing 75,000 vouchers worth €80 each to citizens to spend at Walloon tourism operators. The program was wildly popular — batches sold out in minutes, with over 100,000 people connecting simultaneously during one release.
In 2022, the program underwent a fundamental transformation. The €80 vouchers were replaced with a free, permanent digital discount platform — a web application offering 10-50% discounts at over 700 partner operators across Wallonia. The new format promised unlimited validity, a loyalty rewards system, and real-time recommendations based on location and interests.
The Engagement Gap
Despite reaching 130,000 registrations, the numbers tell a sobering story about actual engagement. Visit Wallonia reports that only around 20,000 users are considered “active.” The figures become even more striking at the individual attraction level:
- SPARKOH! in Mons, the most requested attraction via the Pass, recorded 1,500 discount requests last year — representing just 2% of its total visitors.
- Aquascope de Virelles, which welcomes nearly 30,000 annual visitors, saw only about 40 people use a Pass Visit Wallonia discount in all of 2025.
These figures raise legitimate questions about whether the program is achieving its core objective of boosting local tourism spending.
Promotion Over Discounts?
Olivier Daloze, Director of Partnerships at Visit Wallonia, argues that the Pass should not be judged solely on discount redemption rates. He compares it to supermarket loss leaders, as reported by RTBF:
“There’s the logic of the loss leader like at the supermarket: you see a promotion, you think it’s interesting, but the day you go shopping, you forget to take your discount coupons. But that’s okay, you can buy the product anyway.”
According to this view, the Pass’s primary value lies in its role as a promotional and discovery tool — increasing the visibility of Wallonia’s tourism offerings, encouraging exploration of new attractions, and building a database of interested tourists for targeted marketing.
A Modest Budget and International Ambitions
The program operates on a surprisingly lean budget. Walloon Tourism Minister Valérie Lescrenier confirmed in December 2024 that a budget of €30,000 had been identified within VISITWallonia’s organic budget to continue developing the tool, as reported by Belga via DHnet.
New communication campaigns are planned for 2025 targeting Belgian, German, French, and Dutch markets — an effort to attract international tourists who may be more likely to use the pass for trip planning. The pass broke the 100,000 member mark in May 2024, as The Brussels Times reported, and has since added another 30,000 users.
What’s Behind the Low Usage?
Several factors may explain the gap between registration and usage:
- The forgetting effect: Users register but forget to check the app when visiting attractions.
- Friction at point of sale: The web app format (not available on app stores) may create an extra step that users skip.
- Limited awareness: Visitors may not think to look for discounts when already at a venue.
- Partner overload: With 700+ partners, users may struggle to identify relevant offers.
Minister Lescrenier has said she will be “attentive to the evolution of this tool and any adaptations that may need to be made,” suggesting the government is monitoring the situation closely.
What’s Next
The coming months will be crucial for the Pass Visit Wallonia. The planned international marketing campaigns targeting German, French, Dutch, and Belgian markets will test whether broader awareness can translate into higher engagement. For now, the program’s defenders argue it succeeds as a promotional platform even if the discounts themselves go unused — but the data suggests there is significant room for improvement in converting registrations into real-world tourism spending.
Those interested in the pass can register for free on the official Visit Wallonia website.