Ghent to Ban Tourist Buses From City Center in 2029

Ghent will largely ban tourist buses from its historic city center starting in 2029, requiring them to drop off and pick up passengers at six fixed locations along the R40 ring road, the city council announced on 17 September. On busy days, up to 100 coaches currently drive into the inner city, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, which first reported the plan.

The decision came as the city council approved a startnota — a starting note that greenlights the drafting of a full “autocar plan.” The measure is designed to curb congestion and dangerous maneuvers in the medieval core, and it is scheduled to take effect in 2029.

Six Drop-Off Points Around the Ring Road

Under the plan, buses must drop off and collect passengers at six designated sites: the Godshuizenlaan near the Bijloke site, the Dampoort, the Blaisantvest near the Rabot, the Charles de Kerchovelaan near the Kunstenkwartier, the Ekkergem area, and the Stapelplein. From those points, the city intends to create accessible walking routes to Ghent’s main tourist attractions. A separate long-term parking area will also be built where drivers can wait while their passengers visit the city.

Today, buses may in principle still enter the inner city, governed only by an unwritten rule that they may drop off visitors at bus stops as long as they do not disrupt public transport. The city says this regularly causes nuisance and dangerous maneuvers, including at the Poel and the Vlasmarkt. A larger parking lot already exists at the Dampoort.

“By sharply limiting the number of buses, we make the city center safer and more pleasant,” said Joris Vandenbroucke of the local Voor Gent list, the alderman for mobility. “At the same time, we are providing comfortable drop-off and pick-up points spread along the R40.”

Exceptions for Less Mobile Visitors and Hotel Guests

Buses that still need to enter the center after 2029 will require a permit. That exception is reserved for specific groups: people who are less mobile, groups with many young children, and guests of hotels in the center. The exact permit application procedure will be worked out over the coming years.

“Buses driving criss-cross through the inner city cause nuisance and put public support for tourism under pressure,” said Sofie Bracke of Voor Gent, the alderman for tourism. “With six attractive drop-off and pick-up points, we will bring order to the chaos from 2029.”

Bracke added that bus drivers themselves have long needed clarity. “We want to get away from buses driving criss-cross through the inner city; drivers too need clarity, and we are now providing that,” she said, as VRT NWS reported.

A Long-Simmering Debate

The move caps a debate that has been building for years. In May 2025, Ghent signaled it was considering limiting the size of tourist groups, following the lead of nearby Bruges, where large guided groups — especially Spanish-language tours — had drawn complaints for overcrowding and noise. “We are thinking about similar measures,” Bracke said at the time, adding that Belgium’s art cities should align their rules, VRT NWS reported.

Ghent’s tourism profile has risen sharply since. In August 2026, The New York Times tipped the city as one of six European canal cities suited to travelers who find Amsterdam and Venice too crowded. Bracke welcomed the recognition but acknowledged growing frustration among residents at busy spots — pointing to large groups and buses that are not always parked safely, Het Laatste Nieuws noted.

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

Even so, Bracke stressed that Ghent still has room to grow. In Venice, she noted, there are more than thirty tourists per inhabitant, against roughly five in Ghent. The city’s stated strategy is to attract more overnight visitors — the so-called pyjamatoerist, or pajama tourist — and to spread tourism across the year.

Mixed Reactions and Questions Over Feasibility

The hotel sector reacted cautiously positive. “The city emphasizes that the hotels will remain reachable. Ghent would also make the permit procedure more user-friendly for buses that still need to enter the center,” said Rudy De Wit, chairman of the Ghent hotel association, which represents about 30 hotels. “We think it is a good plan if it is well rolled out.”

But not everyone is convinced. Critics question the plan’s feasibility, particularly as the city prepares for major road works linked to Gentspoort, a large mobility and infrastructure project. The sector is also critical of the timing, since adapting the drop-off points to be fully accessible will cost significant money — and city officials acknowledge the six locations can only work if the infrastructure at those sites is upgraded.

The plan also stops short of Bruges’ approach. Bruges has moved to cap large guided groups at around 20 people and introduce a training system for guides; Ghent has signaled interest in a similar restriction but is still working on one.

What to Watch

An earlier idea for a single large bus parking area on the city’s edge — near the Zuid area — was abandoned, partly because heavy public transport traffic there could make additional tourist flows dangerous. The six R40 sites are the replacement strategy.

The autocar plan will be elaborated over the coming years, with the permit procedure and infrastructure upgrades still to be detailed. If it holds, Ghent will join a growing list of European cities using curb-side logistics to manage overtourism — though whether the six locations can handle the volume, and whether they will be ready in time, remains an open question.