Background of the cluster

In 2015, a study on the Tourism sector was commissioned by the Minister-President of the Brussels Region (the Cabinet of Minister-President Rudi Vervoort) to hub.brussels (formerly impulse.brussels), to identify the needs and difficulties encountered in terms of employment and training by Brussels’ stakeholders in the tourism, events and culture sectors.

These interviews with professionals highlighted a weakness common to the entire sector: a real need was expressed for a cluster-type tool, a place that would be unique because it brought together economic, academic, private and public stakeholders. The cluster would help the hospitality industry develop local economic activities and create and maintain jobs.

This is how the hospitality cluster officially came into being in September 2017 to economically support companies and create synergies between stakeholders in the Tourism, Events and Culture sectors. The cluster fosters partnerships between all parties in the value chain, boosts innovation among members and facilitates the creation of public-private collaborations.