The Brussels lockdown was a harrowing event for the residents of Belgium’s capital city, as authorities closed everything down while they hunted for terrorists. Brussels residents responded to a request from authorities that they not discuss movements on social media by posting pictures—lots and lots of pictures—of cats. Now, tourism authorities are capitalizing on this to help revitalize their tourism industry.
How the Brussels lockdown may eventually bring tourists back to Brussels
#BrusselsLockdown quickly trended on social media, as people tweeted cat photos and memes that involved old favorites, new silliness, and even some residents’ own cats. What happened on social media during the Brussels lockdown was so sensational that now, three of Belgium’s tourist authorities have released a 20-second video featuring cats, in an effort to showcase Brussels with a bit of humor.
The video, which is below, is only about 20 seconds long. They have cats that are dressed up, and cats that are dressed down, on and around some of Brussels’ most famous landmarks. Not all of the cats came from the #BrusselsLockdown posts, though. Some of them are well known cat memes, like Piano Cat and the skateboarding cat of Australia.
Since the video is supposed to take place during the Brussels lockdown, it shows deserted streets, as everyone was supposed to stay indoors during that time. A saxophone can be heard, and intrepid cats are blatantly flouting the lockdown while enjoying themselves in the empty streets of Brussels.
Brussels has been on high alert for a week now, after reports came out saying that Brussels could possibly be a target for terrorism. Tourism is a major industry for many cities, and things like this will always scare tourists away. Cities have to be innovative to bring them back, and using the Brussels lockdown as the reason for why people should come, instead of stay away, is as innovative as it gets.
Watch the cute, short video below, and check out #BrusselsLockdown on Twitter to see some of the hilarious photos.
