The 24th edition of the now traditional Winter Wonders Christmas market is coming to an end. Now's a good time to take stock and look back at the figures, which were once again (very) good this year.
This major event in our capital has once again lived up to its promises, from an economic, festive as well as a cultural point of view. More than 4.2 million people walked the streets of the city centre during the 5 weeks of festivities. The residents of Brussels were still out in force (38%), as were the Belgians from Flanders and Wallonia (27%), but the highlight came with the return of international tourists, who accounted for 35% of visitors. This year, in addition to our faithful neighbours from France, Italy and Spain, the United States also made its comeback. The fact that CNN and the Washington Post have ranked Winter Wonders as one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe is no doubt due in no small part to this.
The hotel industry celebrates
Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh, Secretary General of the Brussels Hotels Association, is delighted with these figures: ‘With an average hotel occupancy of 73.9%, we're back on track with the figures for 2019, before the COVID-19 epidemic! In establishments close to the Grand-Place, this figure even exceeds 80% occupancy. Without Winter Wonders, we'd never be able to achieve this momentum,' he says. Now all we have to do is find a counterpart for the summer months...’.
A dynamic that shines throughout the neighbourhood
The high number of visitors to our capital also encourages tourists to visit the museums, restaurants and shops in the surrounding area. In the Rue Neuve, for example, Shopera, the association of retailers in the Brussels city centre, was able to count over 46,000 visits per day during the Winter Wonders period (for comparison, the figures for the July 2024 summer sales period were around 39,000 visits per day). Even if it is difficult to measure the precise influence, we can only conclude that the success of the Brussels Christmas market has a positive impact on the economic dynamic of the month of December.
The organisation's Christmas spirit
In addition to its great success, Brussels Major Events, the organisation team behind Winter Wonders, would like to draw attention to its partnership with Make-A-Wish®. On the majestic fir tree on the Grand-Place, passers-by were able to spot the 180 Côte d'Or elephants that were being auctioned off in support of this association, which makes the dreams of seriously ill children come true. Artists such as Mustii and Stromae as well as sportsmen and women from our national football teams signed the ornaments, raising nearly 34,000 euros.
Concrete measures to harmonise festivities, mobility and sustainability
The City of Brussels is constantly improving the Winter Wonders route to minimise nuisance for local residents and facilitate mobility. On the environmental level, simple measures such as the use of reusable dishes and the installation of composting toilets have prevented the emission of several tonnes of CO2. In addition, the redistribution of unsold items to combat food waste and the promotion of local crafts are at the heart of the organisation of this market, which has become a not-to-be-missed event.
Next year, Winter Wonders will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. An opportunity to reinvent itself and try to surprise its audience even more. Brussels Major Events is already working on something, but nobody's spilling the beans - secrets are well kept. So 2025 promises to end with fireworks once again (at the foot of the Atomium, of course).
