Postal services in Europe and around the world plan to halt shipping merchandise to the US as the Trump administration’s end of the de minimus tariff exemption goes into effect.
Day: August 24, 2025
Flanders to Enhance Beer Tourism with New Visitor Centers
By the end of the year, 12 breweries in Flanders will unveil new centers aimed at welcoming visitors and showcasing the brewing process and beer consumption. The breweries have received a total of 3 million euros from the EU recovery fund established to revitalize the European economy following the Covid-19 pandemic, reports 24brussels.
Flanders secured approximately 2 billion euros from the European Commission’s recovery fund, which is part of a larger effort worth hundreds of billions across Europe. Visit Flanders, the regional agency involved in tourism promotion, allocated 18.5 million euros in subsidies targeting four areas: beer, nature, cycling, and art, later expanding to include culinary experiences.
The initiative focused on beer aims to draw both professional and casual beer enthusiasts to the region. Out of approximately 50 participating breweries, 12 were selected to enhance their visitor facilities, highlighting the cultural significance of beer in Flanders.
Many of these breweries produce traditional geuze, particularly in artisanal settings around Brussels, while others are spread across Flanders. They will provide tasting opportunities, dining options, workshops, and tours of their production sites.
Given the urgent need for economic recovery, the allocated funds must be utilized promptly. Nonetheless, Visit Flanders plans to continue promoting Flemish beers even after this year. Currently, the region hosts over 10 beer festivals annually and will launch initiatives to market its breweries and beers internationally.
2026 marks a significant milestone, as it will be the 10th anniversary of Unesco’s designation of Belgian beer culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition underscores the quality and diversity of Belgian beers, the café culture, the influence of beer on gastronomy, and the longstanding craftsmanship alongside modern innovations.
As Flanders capitalizes on its brewing heritage, including the distinct geuze and other offerings, efforts to develop tourism and enhance local economies through beer culture will likely have lasting impacts in the years to come.
In a summer of anti-migrant rallies, flags and nationalistic rhetoric, observers warn there is a lack of government voices pushing back
The Bell hotel in Epping has seen a lot since it was built in the 16th century as a coaching inn, serving travellers passing through the historic Essex market town and on to London, 15 miles to the south-west. This has long been a place that bustled with outsiders, though they have not always been welcome – the small green common opposite was once named after a beacon that local stories say was built to warn of invasion.
Though now wrapped in ugly 1960s extensions that have stripped it of anything approaching charm, the unassuming building – close to agricultural land and a cricket pitch – is an unlikely place to spark a potential political crisis.