‘HI BELGIUM‘ PASS ADDS VALUE FOR BRUSSELS AIRLINES PASSENGERS
(Posted 22nd April 2017)
Tourists who want to visit Belgium or business travelers who wish to add a stopover in the European capital, now have one convenient and advantageous travel formula, the Hi Belgium Pass. The pass is the result of a unique cooperation between Brussels Airlines, Brussels Airport, the Belgian Railways and several tourist offices, cities and attractions from across the country. With the Pass, tourists can fly from 50 European cities to Brussels Airport, from where they can take unlimited train rides to Belgian cities and visit a wealth of tourist attractions for free.
After the attacks of 22nd of March last year the number of tourists visiting Belgium has decreased significantly. In the past months, several governments, action groups and companies have launched campaigns to restore the image of Belgium.
On the initiative of Brussels Airlines, several Belgian organizations have now joined forces to create a travel product that focuses on European tourists who want to take a weekend trip in Belgium. With the Hi Belgium Pass, planning a weekend trip to Belgium becomes a breeze and is more attractive than ever.
The Hi Belgium Pass is a joint initiative bringing on board the tourist offices Toerisme Vlaanderen, Visit Brussels, Belgique-Wallonie, Brussels Museum Council and the cities of Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Luik and Mechelen plus several tourist attractions. All these partners have made a significant contribution to make the pass as interesting as possible.
For only 149 euro, Hi Belgium Pass travelers can fly with Brussels Airlines from 50 airports in 18 different countries to Brussels Airport (Check&Go ticket). From there they can take unlimited train rides to different Belgian cities, where they have free access to a wealth of tourist attractions (musea, guided tours, etc.). The only choice the visitor has to make is which two cities he or she wants to visit.
Hi Belgium Pass travelers can fly in on Thursday, Friday or Saturday and leave on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. The offer is valid throughout the year. The pass is available for tourists from Germany, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The Hi Belgium Pass can easily be booked via brusselsairlines.com
It is the first time that the important tourist operators of Belgium work together to promote their country abroad with a concrete travel product. In the near future other cities will join the initiative. The partners will promote the Hi Belgium Pass via marketing campaigns, their own communication channels and their representatives abroad.
‘With the Hi Belgium Pass we put Belgium on the map more than ever‘ says Brussels Airlines CEO Bernard Gustin before adding: ‘One year after 22 March, we still see a need to attract foreign tourists to our country. I thank all partners who support the initiative and who have made great efforts in order to be able to offer an interesting travel product. The aim is to continue to grow the Pass in the coming months by adding new cities to the list. This is the start of an even stronger cooperation in our country‘.
Sophie Dutordoir, CEO NMBS also commented on the new deal when she said: ‘The Hi Belgium Pass is an excellent opportunity for tourists to discover Belgium by train. A quarter of all passengers at Brussels Airport already uses the train to travel from and to the airport. The station Brussels Airport is situated under the airport and has direct connections to no less than 83 Belgian stations. The large stations are all very near to historic city centers, which makes the most important touristic destinations easily accessible by train’.
Arnaud Feist, CEO Brussels Airport also added his voice saying: ‘Our hospitality, our impressive sports performance and our culinary and artistic talents are important assets that contribute to Belgium’s reputation. Often we are too modest to admit it. A strong selection of partners has joined forces to promote these Belgian assets in the rest of Europe, with the Hi Belgium Pass. Without hesitation, Brussels Airport has joined this initiative because it fits in with our main objective to offer a high quality service to our passengers and let them discover our legendary hospitality‘.
Last but not least then did the Visit Flanders CEO Peter De Wilde comment: ‘This unique weekend product is a win-win situation for international tourists as well as our tourism industry. On top of it, the Hi Belgium Pass gives a boost to our reputation and the tourist flow towards our country. The pass is an extra promotion opportunity for our tourism providers who can link their own offer or campaign. With 4.6% of our gross national product, tourism is one of the most important sectors in our country. With this kind of offer and this kind of cooperation we can more than ever make a difference. We at Visit Flanders can only encourage this initiative. We put our shoulders under the international promotion of the Hi Belgium Pass and thank all partners for their contribution‘.
It is at this stage not known if plans exist to roll out a similar initiative to passengers from Brussels Airlines overseas destinations in North America, India and in particular Africa, which the Belgian flag carrier has served for decades. Such a pass could, if it materialises, include either ticket or else only offer the services in Belgium at a reduced cost.
In East Africa does Brussels Airlines fly 5 times a week to Entebbe / Uganda and six times a week to Kigali / Rwanda with one service extending to Bujumbura / Burundi.
One Response
It says you can make unlimited train rides but then says, “The only choice the visitor has to make is which two cities he or she wants to visit.” Can you make as many train rides as you like to as many cities as you like, or are you restricted to two cities?