Blankenberge (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Coastal hotel owners, led by Seppe Kamen of Hotel Alfa Inn in Blankenberge, urge the De Wever government to delay the VAT rise from 6% to 12% for 2025–2026 bookings.
As VRT News reported, Coastal hotel owners, led by Seppe Kamen of Hotel Alfa Inn in Blankenberge, are raising concerns over the De Wever government’s plan to increase VAT on tourist stays. They warn that the change comes too suddenly and could affect business during key seasons.
“Many groups often book their seaside stay a year in advance, at a fixed, agreed-upon rate,”
says Seppe Kamen, owner of Hotel Alfa Inn in Blankenberge.
What impact will the De Wever government’s VAT hike have on Coastal hotels?
Many hoteliers accept that funding is needed and an increase is necessary, but they say the timing causes problems. A fast increase would leave hotels paying the extra cost themselves, because most bookings for 2025 and 2026 are already confirmed at the current 6% rate.
At the Blankenberge Alfa Inn, owner Seppe says hundreds of stays have been reserved under the present VAT rate, and those prices are already set. He explains that adjusting them later is difficult and could damage the trust built with returning visitors.
Hoteliers are not asking to cancel the increase, but they are calling for more time so future prices can be updated in a fair way. They fear a sudden rise could reduce demand, make holidays more expensive for families and weaken the coastal economy.
Coastal hotelier Seppe explains that the planned VAT increase makes pricing difficult. He says hotels cannot tell guests that a room booked at €100 will suddenly cost €106. Many families plan their trip months and decide on a stay based on a fixed budget. A late change could break that budget and cause complaints. Seppe adds that he would also be disappointed if his confirmed holiday became more expensive without warning. Guests expect the agreed price to stay the same once they receive confirmation.
“As young entrepreneurs, we don’t have a buffer yet to suddenly cover that difference ourselves. I really hope there will be a transition year. That the new rate won’t be implemented until 2027,”
says Seppe.
“The problem is bigger for smaller hotels, because the large international chains operate and calculate differently,” says Seppe. “We can’t go on strike or, for example, hold a march with 10 small hotels in Brussels. That would have absolutely no effect.”
In Blankenberge, hotel owners have responded together instead of calling for strikes. They wrote an open letter to the federal government to explain why they need more time to adjust prices. The letter is now being shared widely on social media and is drawing attention from tourists, locals and others in the tourism sector.
Belgium has seen similar VAT changes in the past that affected hotels and tourism. In January 2015, the government raised the reduced VAT rate on overnight stays, holiday parks and campsites from 6% to 9%. Hoteliers warned that the increase could cause problems for guests who had already booked and could lead to cancellations. Industry groups, including Horeca Vlaanderen, asked for a transition period to protect both businesses and visitors. In 2016, the government reviewed VAT again for hospitality and catering, keeping lower rates for essential services while increasing others to raise revenue.
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