Ghent Moves to Curb Day-Trip Tourism Amid Resident Anger

The city of Ghent is taking steps to reduce the number of day-trippers who “check off” the city in just an hour, responding to growing frustration among residents about the pressures of mass tourism on local neighborhoods. Tourism Alderman Sofie Bracke (Voor Gent) announced the city wants “fewer tourists who check off Ghent in an hour and more tourists who come to discover our city for its unique offering and authenticity,” as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.

Context: A City at a Crossroads

Ghent, one of Belgium’s five “art cities,” has seen significant tourism growth in recent years, driven by its medieval architecture, canal network, and cultural institutions. The city received 1 million tourist overnight stays last year, and American arrivals surged 27.8 percent in the first four months of 2026 alone. The New York Times recently recommended Ghent as an alternative to overcrowded canal cities like Amsterdam and Venice, listing it among six alternative destinations. The city welcomed the recognition while acknowledging the need to manage growth carefully.

Yet Bracke insists Ghent has not reached overtourism levels. “Here you don’t see scenes like in Rome or Barcelona,” she said. “Tourists are welcome: they keep shops and hospitality running, provide jobs and contribute to an extensive museum offering.” She noted Ghent has about five tourists per resident, compared to over 30 in Venice.

Resident Sentiment and New Measures

Resident frustration has been building. A 2023 survey by Toerisme Vlaanderen found that 66 percent of Ghent residents consider the city center overcrowded, with more than half avoiding certain areas at certain times. A new survey is currently being conducted in three waves, with results expected in October.

Bracke acknowledged the growing concern. “It’s more than a gut feeling. We all see it when we walk through the city,” she said. “It’s not pleasant to stand behind a group of fifty foreign tourists.”

To address these concerns, Ghent is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy. The city is looking to spread visitors to the Kunstenkwartier (Arts Quarter), an area between Ketelvest, Coupure, and Sint-Pietersstation that houses major cultural institutions including MSK, S.M.A.K., GUM, and the Bijloke. The strategy is already showing results, with hotel capacity in the area rising from 7 to 9 percent.

Looking to Bruges for Solutions

The city is also examining restrictions on large tour groups, looking to Bruges’ recently tightened regulations where groups are limited to 20 people per guide and sound amplification is prohibited. “To tackle large groups of foreign tourists, we look at the recently tightened regulations in Bruges,” Bracke said. “We’re waiting for the evaluation in Bruges. Ghent is not an island; it seems logical that the rules in the art cities are the same.”

An autocar plan is also being developed to keep tourist buses out of the city center, where they often create dangerous situations. The city is additionally tackling illegal holiday rentals with new controls and European data-sharing rules, and discussing electric motors and noise-reduction solutions with canal boat operators.

The ‘Pajama Tourist’ Strategy

At the heart of Ghent’s approach is a shift toward attracting visitors who stay overnight rather than those who pass through for a few hours. “Extra tourists? Please. The pajama tourist, very much please,” Bracke said. “We must ask ourselves which facilities we want to offer for each form of tourism when it has an impact on residents.”

The hotel sector supports this direction. “We find it important to attract tourists who stay longer than a day in Ghent,” said Rudy De Wit of vzw Gent Hotels, which represents 35 hotels with over 3,000 rooms. “In Ghent there is no mass tourism, and as a sector we want to keep it that way. We want to show tourists a liveable city.” VRT NWS reported that the city is also investing in congress tourism to attract visitors during quieter months.

What’s Next

Ghent is not considering drastic measures like entry fees or caps seen in Venice. Instead, the city is betting on a combination of spreading visitors across neighborhoods and seasons, restricting disruptive forms of tourism, and promoting longer, more meaningful stays. The city is developing the Leopoldkazerne area with new hotel capacity and planning a major renovation of the ICC for congress tourism.

A reader survey conducted by HLN showed strong public support for managing tourism growth, with readers calling for restrictions on large groups, tourist buses, and Airbnb rentals. The results of the new resident survey in October will provide further guidance as the city seeks to balance its tourism economy with the liveability its residents demand.

As Bracke put it: “Tourism is an important economic factor, but we want to ensure that liveability and authenticity don’t come under pressure.” The coming months will show whether Ghent can maintain that balance as its international profile continues to rise.