Hasselt, with a population of around 75,000, is the capital of Belgium’s Limburg province. Karolien Mondelaers, Hasselt’s Vice-Mayor and Town Counsellor in charge of Culture, Tourism and Education, discusses the city’s appeal as a tourism destination and investment target.
European Times: What is Hasselt known for?
Karolien Mondelaers: Hasselt is small in size but huge in what it has to offer. Hasselt needs to promote itself more; for example, we have the biggest Japanese garden in Europe but few outside the city know this. Hasselt is a very green city with excellent restaurants, many cultural attractions – including our internationally known annual street-art project – and great investment appeal. The city is in the heart of Europe and easy to reach from anywhere. It has an international population which is very welcoming, and since Hasselt is compact, everything is easily reached by bicycle, which adds to the city’s great quality of life.
European Times: Which economic sectors are most important in the local economy?
Karolien Mondelaers: Hasselt, which has its own university, is one of the top cities in Belgium for start-ups by young entrepreneurs. Our tourism sector and cultural industries are quite dynamic as well. The MICE tourism segment is an important part of our local tourism industry, although around 70% of our visitors are leisure travellers. In Limburg as a whole, the percentage is around 30% leisure travellers, and we expect Hasselt’s business tourism to grow significantly. We encourage investment in the tourism sector. For MICE visitors, for example, Hasselt has the cultural appeal of Brussels or Antwerp without the crowds and traffic jams, and there are many unspoiled natural areas to explore just outside the city.
European Times: What facilities and services for MICE tourism does Hasselt have?
Karolien Mondelaers: Hasselt has several large, international-standard luxury hotels as well as up-to-date conference facilities, and the city is partnering with the government of Limburg and with Genk and Lommel to provide a combination of advantages for any international meeting or conference held in the area.
European Times: What about the creative industry?
Karolien Mondelaers: Hasselt strongly supports projects involving creativity and new technologies. Many thriving companies have grown out of the city’s creative economy, and Hasselt encourages international cooperation in innovative projects, for example through our partnership with leaders in Silicon Valley.
European Times: What is your personal message about Hasselt?
Karolien Mondelaers: Hasselt is an exciting place to visit, live, work and invest in.
