For decades, five families in Bruges have run the tourist boats that chug serenely along the beautiful Flemish city’s picturesque canals. Day in, day out, the guides describe the medieval belfry, low-sweeping bridges and rich history of this “Venice of the north”.
But there may be stormy waters ahead for the boaters of Bruges. There is talk that Chinese investors and, even worse, people from Ghent, known locally as Stroppendragers or noose-bearers, could make waves.
To comply with EU law, the municipality will, in 2027, end the existing licensing regime, after which concessions will be open to tender, and competition encouraged. With the boating companies also obliged to invest in electric boats – at €200,000 a vessel, double the cost of a
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