The office of tourism for Brussels and Wallonia, meanwhile, has a fund of €100,000 a year to meet the show’s demands. The kind of “sponsorship” solicited by Vlaanderen Vakantieland, which sees its 20th anniversary this year, is the only financially responsible way to make a travel show, a VRT spokesperson said.

The news comes as Flemish broadcaster VRT announced plans to cut 279 jobs and shave 10% off programme budgets (5% for news and culture). Managing director Piet Van Roe last week assured unions the job losses would not be compulsory. About 90 people have already expressed a wish to leave, he said, and he was confident the numbers could be made up voluntarily.

Hardest hit will be entertainment shows, drama, children’s programmes and sport. The day after the presentation of the savings plan to the board, the broadcaster announced it would not be bidding for the forthcoming new football rights contract – the VRT and its French-speaking equivalent RTBF together pay €8 million a year for the broadcast rights for first-class football.

Elsewhere last week, radio station MNM, also owned by the VRT, apologised for its handling of a special programme broadcast from the new Starbuck’s coffee outlet in Antwerp central station. The radio station retained its editorial independence on such occasions, but the sponsor’s name was mentioned too many times, the VRT admitted.