Each day, Brussels Airport welcomes 70,000 to 80,000 passengers from around the globe, rising to 90,000 during peak summer periods. And many of them are keen to take a bit of Belgium back home with them. Chocolate remains by far the best-selling product at the airport. Souvenirs featuring Belgian comic book characters such as Tintin and the Smurfs are also especially popular with international travellers at Brussels Airport.
Chocolate by far the most popular product at Brussels Airport
Chocolate is the most popular and best-selling product at Brussels Airport. Chocolate products account for as much as a third of all sales at the airport. No less than 1.5 kg of this classic Belgian delicacy is sold every minute, totalling around 850 tonnes annually. This makes the airport, in partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium, the biggest chocolate outlet in the world.
Travellers’ top choice is a box of Neuhaus chocolates, with customers free to pick their own selection at the shop counter. Taking second place in the top three most popular chocolate products is the Leonidas milk chocolate tablet with hazelnuts, a classic much loved by the international public at the airport. Completing the top three is a milk chocolate tablet with salted caramel.
Tintin and Snowy accessories top the souvenir list
Of course, there is much more to Belgian culture than chocolate. Souvenirs with a distinctly Belgian character also prove popular. Tintin and his dog Snowy, the comic book characters created by Belgian cartoonist Hergé, are especially popular with visitors from around the world at Brussels Airport. Unsurprisingly, the Tintin carrier bag is the airport’s best-selling souvenir. A Snowy plush toy and key rings of the iconic duo complete the top three most popular souvenirs. The top ten non-food products also include Smurf-themed souvenirs like plush toys, magnets, and key rings of the famous blue cartoon characters.
