“We expect to receive around 300,000 people, which would be a record. This is explained by Suffering temperatures in southern Europe. We welcome more Belgian, German, French and Dutch tourists who usually favor Spain, the south of France, and who come to seek a little freshness in the North Sea. The Belgian coast becomes the new Côte d’Azur. “
“Tourists fridge”, dress code, mobility … The new N-VA bourgmestre in Knokke answers DH questions: “Keep your bikini for the beach”
To what extent are you new tourist profiles?
“We welcome an audience that can be more demanding and financially financially. These people have high expectations in terms of reception, services, accommodation. Simultaneously, some individuals take advantage of being unknown by our services to adopt incentive behavior that they would not have at home. This situation creates an additional workload for the local police which must manage the complaints and requirements of these tourists.”
What are the main problems encountered during the holidays?
“Summer crime concerns a series of crimes ranging from small vandalism to graffiti, passing through public intoxication, display flights and shooting. Increased attention is paid to the nuisance caused by intra-family problems. We find that families of five or six people, who are seen in the evening or the weekend during the year, are found together in a small apartment. frequent that we had to intervene to temper the ardor. “
How many police officers are mobilized to ensure public security?
“All the police in our area are mobilized. Each police officer has the right to take up a maximum of ten days off during the months of July and August to ensure an optimal rolling. In addition to the mounted police which can intervene quickly, the federal police provide 26 police officers for all cities coastal. It is very little, which is why we have the reinforcement of Antwerp and Brussels police with whom I maintain good reports. “
The Brussels areas, however, suffer from a chronic sub-effective especially with all the security issues in the capital.
“Certainly, but summer in Brussels is traditionally calmer. I will even go so far as to say that there are more Brussels residents at the Belgian coast than in the capital.”
Knokke prohibits tourists by car: you will now have to walk 3 kilometers to reach the beach!
What message do you launch to visitors, especially French speakers who flock to number?
“Everyone is welcome. Many Brussels residents go to Saint-Idesbald on this part of the coast. They do not pose a problem. We try to speak the language of tourists. Our police have bilingual bonuses and we do what we can welcome them comfortably. We invite visitors to identify the authorized bathing places. To avoid any incident. “
What are the challenges in terms of mobility that accompany this tourist increase?
“Many people come by car and you have to manage traffic flows at best. We deploy a lot of motorcycle police officers. They are more mobile than cars and allow tourists to be guided as well as possible and avoid conflicts related to parking.”
