Socio-cultural environment in Belgium

Basic details about BelgiumCapital: City of Brussels or

BrusselsDialling code: +32ISO code: BELCurrency: EuroOfficial languages:French, Dutch, GermanNeighbouring countries: France, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg

Basic details to be known to start up a business

• Family structure• Festival Seasons• Holidays• Customs• Etiquette• Preferable product like

carpet, chocolate, beer etc.

• Cost of living• Tourist and travel

• Educational and career related knowledge

• Traditional belief• Clothing in traditional and

business environment• Food culture• Taboos• Telecommunication&

hospitality• GDP, NNP,PCI, Export import

relationship

Family Structure in Belgium

Light festival in Belgium

Beer festival in Belgium

Customs and Etiquettes

Major products of Belgium

Video of scope in chocolate industry and chocolate making video…

Education and Career Background

Traditional Belgian outfit

Frock

Casual Clothing (Female)

Casual Clothing and Accessories

Food culture

Cultural Taboos of Belgians

Behaviours to avoid:

• Addressing people from the outset by their first name

• Making extravagant physical gestures (backslapping, hugging, etc.)

• Talking with your hands in your pockets

• Pointing with the index finger• Chewing gum or spitting in public• Asking personal or intimate

questions

Discussion topics to avoid:

• What people earn• Their political affiliations (avoid

politics altogether!)• Community issues (Flemish

identity, Walloon dependency on Flemish bail-outs, etc.)

• Religion• Racial minorities• Dress, appearance or weight

Cost of living and Money& Banking

Cost of Living of Belgians• Credit cards are widely used and accepted in Belgium, VISA is

the most popular card, but MasterCard will also be accepted in most outlets. American Express and Diners Club are not as widely accepted.

• On Mondays to Fridays the majority of the banks are open from 9am to 12pm and after a break, open again from 2pm to 4pm. Some banks are also open on Saturdays for a few hours in the morning and some have one day a week were they have late opening after 4pm.

• Belgium has the largest number of bank branches per head in the world. Furthermore, electronic banking has become quite common within recent years. It is possible to complete most banking transactions using an ATM or online banking application.

Telecommunication and Health Care

Tourist and Travel

Belgium with other nations

Belgian Football Team

Thank You

Presented by

• Tanmayee.T• Sairah Begum• Deepika.V• Sashmitha• Shravanthi.G• Dharshini• Diya Chandok• Sri Darshini.R• Sandya• Vaishnavi.S