Belgian news in brief, 13 December 2005

Business tourism an economic boon

Business tourism generates EUR 1.5 billion in revenue per year in Flanders, a Flemish tourism bureau survey has revealed. A businessman or woman staying the night in Flanders injects EUR 300 into the Flemish economy. Some 165,000 business conferences and business events are staged in Flanders each year. The coast and cities such as Ghent and Antwerp are among the top venues.

Too few inspectors for high-risk industrial sites

There are too few inspectors to inspect dangerous factories in Flanders, most of which are located at the Antwerp port. The Flemish government has just seven inspectors, but an extra 10 are needed to maintain adequate supervision. Flemish Environment Minister Kris Peeters has started a recruiting procedure.

47,000 news jobs created

Some 47,000 jobs were created in Belgium last year, the employment office WAV said. The strongest job growth was reported in company service sector (such as temping agencies, accounting or advice firms) and the social-profit sector. Both sectors combined created 38,000 new jobs. Some 130,000 jobs have been created since 1999.

Clijsters’ parents to divorce

The parents of tennis ace Kim Clijsters are to divorce. The 23-year marriage between Lei Clijsters, 49, and Els Vandecaetsbeek, 41, produced two children. Lei was initially the main support for Clijsters’ tennis career, but after recovering from a liver transplant, Els also became involved in her daughter’s career. However, the mother and father have been appearing separately at tournaments in recent times.

Subject: Belgian news