Bruges, Belgium, has been recognised as a best practice by the Sustainable EU Tourism project for its proactive and strategic approach to managing tourism in an urban heritage setting. Since the 1980s, the city has adopted a concentration model that limits tourism to a small area known as the “Golden Triangle,” helping to preserve the rest of the city for residents. To protect affordability and local character, Bruges implemented bans on new hotel and holiday home construction and introduced pioneering regulations for shared accommodations, allowing only resident-hosted listings.

The city has also capped licenses for touristic transport and cruise ships and developed codes of conduct for guided tours. Bruges uses big data and regular surveys to monitor tourism impacts and inform strategic decisions. Marketing efforts are focused on attracting cultural tourists and families, while avoiding promotion of day trips and party tourism. These measures are embedded in the city’s Strategic Vision Memorandum for Tourism 2019–2024, which emphasises tourism’s social value alongside its economic contribution.

Bruges’ approach demonstrates the importance of balancing tourism growth with community well-being and heritage preservation. It shows how strong governance, stakeholder collaboration, and data-driven planning can lead to sustainable urban tourism. This best practice is important because it exemplifies how a destination can proactively manage tourism to benefit both residents and visitors, ensuring long-term viability and social acceptance.