Setting up and running a tourist accommodation business

Anyone offering paid tourist accommodation in the French-speaking part of Wallonia. All types of tourist accommodation are covered, regardless of their form: hotels, B&Bs, rental accommodation, apartments, campsites, boats, yurts, tree houses, holiday villages, etc.

You can find the different conditions for registering, applying for certification or applying for a subsidy on the Wallonia Tourism website.

• Registration is compulsory.
• Certification gives access to tourism promotion (the accommodation is included in the catalogue of VISITWallonia and the Tourist Offices).
• Specific designations make it possible to obtain subsidies.

Register (REQUIRED)

All types of tourist accommodation are covered, regardless of their form: hotels, B&Bs, rental accommodation, apartments, campsites, boats, yurts, tree houses, holiday villages, etc.
Anyone offering paid tourist accommodation in the French-speaking part of Wallonia must register before letting it out. Once registration has been completed, the accommodation may be operated.

The operator must:

• Provide the requested information (name, address, accommodation capacity, etc.)
• Provide a fire safety certificate (ASI) or simplified compliance certificate (ACS) (with the exception of campsites and motor home areas)
• Provide an extract from the criminal record (issued within the last 6 months)

The application is submitted online via the Wallonia Tourism platform.

When logging in for the first time, you will need to:

• Create your account (using your personal details)
• Create your accommodation record (including details of your accommodation – if you are already registered with Wallonia Tourism, you can retrieve your record)
• Start the registration process

Obtain certification (OPTIONAL)

An application for certification of a tourist accommodation may only be submitted if the accommodation is validly registered for at least one year.

The application is submitted online via the Wallonia Tourism platform.

When logging in for the first time, you will need to:

• Create your account (using your personal details)
• Create your accommodation record (including details of your accommodation – if you are already registered with Wallonia Tourism, you can retrieve your record)
• Start the certification process

Apply for a subsidy (OPTIONAL)

Under certain conditions, operators of tourist accommodation are eligible for subsidies. These are granted within the limits of the appropriations allocated in the budget.
You can only apply for a subsidy once you have obtained your certification. It must still be valid for at least one year at the time of the application.
The applicant must have a BCE number and must be the owner of the property being fitted out (or have the owner’s consent for the work they wish to carry out).
Campsites, holiday villages and hotels may submit a single application every three years; guesthouses and self-catering holiday accommodation every five years.

Applications can be made online using the form available below.

Obtain a hotel classification (for HOTELS only)

Hotels are the only tourist accommodation establishments requiring a hotel classification. To apply for the hotel classification, the hotel must be registered and certified as a tourist hotel. This certification must still be valid for at least one year at the time of the application for hotel classification. More information.

The application is submitted online via the Wallonia Tourism platform.

When logging in for the first time, you will need to:

• Create your account (using your personal details)
• Create your accommodation record (including details of your accommodation – if you are already registered with Wallonia Tourism, you can retrieve your record)
• Start the classification process

These procedures are free of charge.

• Registration must be completed before any guests are accommodated. Once registration has been completed, the accommodation may be operated.
• An application for certification of a tourist accommodation may only be submitted if the relevant accommodation is validly registered for at least one year at the date of the application.
• You can only apply for a subsidy once you have obtained the specific certification. It must still be valid for at least one year at the time of the application.

Each procedure requires its own supporting documents (see procedure).

• CGT & SPW Territory – Regulations Governing Tourist Accommodation (available only in French)
• Walloon Tourism Code (available only in French)

If you have any complaints regarding the administration’s operations, you can contact the Ombudsman of Wallonia by email at reclamation@le-mediateur.be or by telephone on 0800/19.199.