To enable the sector to resume its activities under the best possible conditions, at the beginning
of July the Brussels-Capital Region and visit.brussels launched a health safety label designed
in collaboration with the international certification company SOCOTEC. The first businesses and institutions have now received their label and applications are still coming in. visit.brussels has collected their testimonials.
As part of its recovery plan, the Brussels-Capital Region, through its tourist operator visit.brussels,
has launched several initiatives, such as the “No Br__sels without us” communication campaign
and a series of funds to support the tourism sector.
The Region has created the Brussels Health Safety Label to reassure the public and provide
additional support to the tourism sector. The content of this label was developed in close
cooperation with the federations and the partners in the tourism sector. It will evolve in accordance
with the directives of the National Security Council and is expected to support the sector in the
coming months.
The free “Brussels Health Safety Label”
The label is intended for tourism and culture stakeholders, namely attractions and museums, tourist
accommodation, guided tours, restaurants and bars, venues, events and fairs. Its purpose is twofold.
On the one hand, it will enforce the general mandatory rules applicable to all sectors and those
specific to each sector. On the other hand, the label makes it possible to inform and reassure the
public about the measures taken by the tourist places they plan to visit.
Experiences and testimonials of the very first certified institutions e No fewer than 20 businesses and institutions have received the label to date. visit.brussels has collected the experiences and testimonials of the very first to be certified.
The Penta Hotel: to obtain the label, the Penta Hotel has implemented a series of specific measures
to make its guests’ stay as pleasant as possible, with its “between us” concept. With floor markings,
installation of hand sanitiser gel dispensers, adaptation of breakfast, provision of hooks to avoid
touching door handles and lift buttons, they have done everything possible to make customers feel
comfortable and reassured in their (“between us”) bubble.
“We were immediately enthusiastic about getting the label. Customers who wish to continue
travelling find it difficult to navigate the amount of information they receive on a daily basis. Can I
still go to my destination? What security measures are in place? Which places are safe? Thanks to
this label, guests no longer need to worry about finding a safe place to enjoy their stay with complete peace of mind. The label will show them the way,” said Kristof Lemmens, Area General Manager.
Hotel Made in Louise: in this mansion hotel, everything has been done to meet the criteria of the
label and allow visitors to make the most of the various facilities available to them. The measures
taken by the establishment to ensure its guests have a pleasant stay include plexiglass at reception,
disinfection of the rooms, reorganisation and rearrangement of breakfast, QR code for menus and
information in the rooms and the provision of sanitiser gel.
“As an independent hotel, it is quite difficult to access a certification system. For us, it was therefore
important that visit.brussels create this label and allow us to apply for it. I wanted to be one of the first hotels to have it. Our application allowed us to challenge ourselves and improve. The label will
reassure our customers and create a relationship of trust with them. We are going to use it in all our communications. It really is a good thing for us,” said Martin Duchateau, hotel manager.
Restaurant Vincent: in this establishment, the recommendations are also followed to the letter. The
measures include the reduction of the number of tables by 50% to ensure social distancing, provision of hand sanitiser gel, floor markings, direction of flow, entry to and exit from the
establishment through two different doors, and separate portions of salt, pepper and other
condiments. With regard to staff, the small team of five people respects the rules established by the
NSC on a daily basis and tries to encourage clients to do the same.
“A few months ago, no one expected to be in a situation like this. Our application allowed us to
discipline and challenge ourselves. The label will really make our day-to-day life easier in our
communications with our Belgian and foreign customers. This is not a short-term approach. The
measures that have been put in place to obtain the label are useful today but will remain so tomorrow.
After this crisis, we will continue to respect barrier measures so that our customers can fully enjoy
their experience in our restaurant,” said Ilhame Talbi Paloma, restaurant manager.
Spa 30 (venue: congress hall) run by QED (event organiser specialising in European affairs):
located in the heart of the European quarter, Spa 30 has quickly put in place a series of measures
to reassure its Belgian and foreign clients. The concrete actions that have been implemented by the
establishment include reducing the number of places in meeting rooms to ensure social distancing,
taking temperatures at the entrance, plexiglass at the reception, regular cleaning and disinfection
of the premises, provision of hand sanitiser gel and introduction of flow direction.
“We have had to reinvent ourselves so that our customers can continue to meet with their contacts.
In particular, we offer them semi-virtual/semi-face-to-face meetings to limit the number of people
present in meeting rooms. The entire QED team has been working to meet all the label’s criteria.
Obtaining the label is essential for us because it will enable us to reassure our Belgian and foreign
clients and show them that it is still possible to organise meetings and conventions in the best
conditions,” said Alina Gervan, HR & Finance Manager.
Bruxelles Bavard: to meet the criteria for obtaining the label, Bruxelles Bavard asbl, an association
of guides, used the award protocol established by visit.brussels, adapting it to its sector of activity.
Before a visit, a list of rules is sent to visitors and guides to ensure everyone’s safety. With
audioguides to ensure social distancing systematically cleaned after each visit, the provision of
hand sanitiser gel, the wearing of masks and a ban on touching the monuments, everything is in
place to allow visitors to discover Brussels differently and with complete peace of mind.
“Obtaining the label is really very important for us. We find it essential to show the public that
measures have been put in place. The label allows us to certify that the measures we have taken are
adequate and help to protect customers. This is an important sign to our clients. It is a tangible way
of proving to them that it is entirely possible to enjoy a guided tour in complete safety,” said Sacha
Seggai and Dominika Figini Kasprzyk, President and employee respectively of Bruxelles Bavard
asbl, with one voice.
BOZAR: BOZAR strongly believes that art and well-being are closely linked. Art is good for you,
especially in times of corona. BOZAR has introduced many measures in order to guarantee safe and
comfortable visitor access. Everything has been thought of to welcome our visitors safely: online
ticket reservations; restricting the number of people; designating time slots for exhibition visits,
establishing clear and prominent signs to ensure that social distancing is maintained; marking
routes; paperless communication via the website and the BOZAR-app…
“Ensuring public safety and access to culture in these troubled times is our priority. By obtaining the
Brussels Health Safety Label, we are able to encourage the public to visit places dedicated to culture – a sector that has been greatly affected by the COVID crisis – and to reinforce the idea that the artistic and cultural experience is a pillar of human well-being and harmony.” – Paul Dujardin, CEO & Artistic Director BOZAR
The label in practice
The label is now available to all tourism partners who wish to apply for it. It is free for applicants,
who simply need to fill out a special form on the visit.brussels website. Once the application has
been accepted, the partner receives a certificate and all the material (visuals, poster, etc.) to be
displayed in its facade or window. In addition to this in situ visibility, the label will be promoted via
a communication campaign orchestrated by visit.brussels.
To ensure that the label is properly applied, certified businesses and institutions will be subject to
random checks by the certification partner of visit.brussels, the company SOCOTEC, which has
been active in the world of security for more than 20 years. The purpose of these checks will be to
ensure that the rules necessary for obtaining the certification are being properly implemented and
respected.
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