Ghent to day-trippers: You're kinda welcome but we'd prefer you stay overnight or longer.

It's interesting that on this newsboard, in five years, Ghent has gone from a cheaper (partly the student population) and still nice place to stay than Bruges or Brussels, to a must-do.

Thanks for posting.

I don't have a problem with over-visited places charging a fee for day trippers, but not sure how it would work

Well, I will say that Ghent is best appreciated when you spend the night there. I really really liked it and was there for 3 nights.

The Arte report said Ghent is putting a moratorium on converting apartments to tourist rentals but also urging tourists to stay, not just day trip.

The report veered off to Amsterdam's campaign, a bit confusing. But it would be a courtesy to readers to put a correct title on the post.

Edit: the "kinda" is still misleading. They prefer overnight visitors.

I watched the Arte video and I checked out the campaign of the city of Ghent and it turns out that what Ghent is actually doing is the exact opposite from what it seems they do according to the topic title. They don’t use the negative form, they don’t tell day trippers to stay away. They don’t advertise that day trippers should stay home in huge capital letters.

What they actually do in their campaign is very clever, because it’s a message in a positive form which always works better than using a negative form or banning something.
In their campaign the city of Ghent highlights all the great things that you can do and see in Ghent and emphasize how beautiful the city is.
In fact, according to the videos from the campaign, there is so much to see and do in Ghent that you can’t possibly see it all in just 1 day. That’s why they literally state;
“Don’t come to Ghent…. without bringing your pyjama’s”

Followed by:
“When you come to Ghent, you’re not a tourist, you’re a guest. So pack your toothbrush and stay at least one night. ”

So instead of telling day trippers to stay home, they encourage them to bring their pyjama’s and spend the night in one of the many great hotels in Ghent.

For those that are interested, more information about the campaign can be found here; https://visit.gent.be/en/dont-come-ghent

Edited to add; yes a somewhat better title, but you still seemed to have missed the positive message of the city of Ghent; You’re very welcome to visit our city and we invite you to spend the night.

My impression too is that Ghent wants (reading between the lines) to welcome visitors looking for quality and not those for a superficial experience. And I fully agree with that!

Much better, Mike - thank you! I'd hate for someone to get angry at Ghent and refuse to visit, lol!

I don't have a problem with over-visited places charging a fee for day trippers, but not sure how it would work

The main problem will be how to ask a fee from day trippers, without asking it from locals just visiting to shop etc... I grew up near Gent, (and even lived a few years there, right in the historical centre). For us Gent was the city, where we went shopping, went out etc...

“I don't have a problem with over-visited places charging a fee for day trippers, but not sure how it would work”

I don’t understand where this is coming from. Ghent has no plans at all to charge a fee to day trippers.

Perhap, Ghent can take a lesson from Venice.