By Martin Banks

Pairi Daiza Resort, the leading Belgian animal park, continues to attract an increasingly international audience.

New data shows that bookings from outside Belgium account for 48.5% of the total, compared with 45.3% in 2025.

This is an increase of 3.2 percent compared with 2025. Belgium remains the resort’s largest market, representing 51.5% of bookings.

The Netherlands is now the leading international market, accounting for 17.43% of all bookings, narrowly ahead of France at 17.36%.

The Dutch share has risen from 14.8% in 2025 to around 17.4% in 2026. Germany accounts for 4.4%, up from 3.5%, while the United Kingdom represents 3.2%, compared with 2.4% a year earlier.

The resort, near Mons, also welcomes visitors from further afield, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan. Some international visitors also book an additional private guided tour to fully experience and understand the stories behind authentic buildings, rare minerals and plants.

Accommodation includes canopy cabins overlooking squirrel monkeys to cosy rooms with views of sharks or Polar bears.

As of 30 September 2026, more than 53,600 stays had already been booked for 2026. This development comes alongside the expansion of the resort’s accommodation capacity, including the new lodgings in Edenya.

The new data underscores the park’s growing appeal.

In 2025, a jury of German tourism professionals named Pairi Daiza “Europe’s Best Holiday Park” for the first time at the Parkscout.de awards. Parkscout.de is a German specialist website covering theme parks, zoos and water parks.The jury highlighted the immersive accommodation and the combination of nature, animals, plants, culture and historic buildings.

The distinction has recently been renewed for 2026 and recognises Pairi Daiza’s commitment to fresh ideas, quality and innovation, with animal care and the visitor experience at the heart of its approach.

Guinness World Records has also officially awarded Pairi Daiza’s Edenya 3 world records, ‘The world’s largest indoor tropical garden’ and ‘The world’s largest indoor zoological ecosystem’ and ‘the largest number of plant species cultivated in an indoor tropical garden’ (Most plant species cultivated in a tropical greenhouse).

The year 2026 also marked a major milestone for Pairi Daiza Resort with the opening of 88 new lodgings in the heart of Edenya, from 21 February. Spanning  7 kinds of accommodation they invite guests to enjoy a unique stay close to the living world.

A park spokesman said, “These new lodgings enrich the Pairi Daiza Resort experience, allowing guests to continue their journey of wonder, by day and by night, in the heart of the world’s largest indoor tropical garden.”

Bookings for 2027 are now open for the 16 different accommodation types at Pairi Daiza Resort.

Information and bookings: www.pairidaiza.eu