Tourism remains a defining feature of everyday life in Europe, shaped by social habits, geography, transport connectivity, and economic capacity. According to harmonised data published by Eurostat, Europeans have returned to travelling in large numbers after the pandemic, with 2023 marking a strong recovery year and 2024 confirming that tourism activity has stabilised at — and in some areas surpassed — pre-COVID levels.
The data provides a detailed picture of how often Europeans travel, where they go, how long they stay, and how tourism demand continues to evolve across the continent.
A strong recovery in 2023
In 2023, residents of the European Union made approximately 1.14 billion tourism trips involving at least one overnight stay. This represented a clear rebound compared with the pandemic years and brought overall travel volumes close to pre-2020 levels. The vast majority of these trips — around 90% — were undertaken for personal reasons such as holidays, leisure travel, or visiting friends and relatives, while business travel accounted for a much smaller, though gradually recovering, share.
This rapid return to travel underlined the resilience of tourism demand in Europe. Once restrictions were lifted and uncertainty declined, Europeans prioritised rest, social connections, and leisure experiences, often opting for shorter and more frequent trips.
Who travels — and who does not
Tourism participation has risen steadily across the EU. In 2023, around 65% of Europeans aged 15 and over took at least one tourism trip for personal purposes. Participation levels, however, vary significantly between countries, reflecting differences in income, access to transport, holiday entitlements, and national travel cultures.
Despite overall growth, a sizeable share of the population still does not travel in a given year. Eurostat data shows that financial constraints remain the most frequently cited reason for non-participation, highlighting persistent inequalities in access to tourism across the Union.
Staying close to home: domestic and intra-EU travel
One of the most striking characteristics of European tourism is its regional concentration. In 2023, 73% of all tourism trips were domestic, meaning travellers stayed within their own country. Even when Europeans travelled abroad, they overwhelmingly remained within the European Union.
In total, more than nine out of ten trips by EU residents took place either domestically or elsewhere in the EU. This reflects Europe’s compact geography, dense transport networks, and the absence of internal border controls within the Schengen Area, all of which make cross-border travel relatively easy and affordable. Long-haul travel outside Europe continues to exist but remains the exception rather than the norm for most Europeans.
Short trips and pronounced seasonality
European travel behaviour continues to be characterised by short stays and strong seasonality. In 2023, over half of all tourism trips lasted between one and three nights, underlining the popularity of weekend breaks and short holidays. Longer stays were more common during the traditional summer holiday period, particularly among families.
Seasonality remains a defining feature of tourism demand. July and August alone account for a disproportionately large share of annual travel activity, placing considerable pressure on transport infrastructure, accommodation capacity, and popular destinations, while many regions experience significantly lower demand during the rest of the year.
How Europeans travel
Leisure travel dominates tourism activity, while business travel has recovered more slowly and remains below pre-pandemic levels in relative terms. Accommodation choices vary widely across countries and trip types. Hotels and similar establishments continue to play a central role, but staying with friends or relatives and short-term rentals are also significant components of the European tourism landscape.
Transport preferences differ depending on distance and destination. Cars remain essential for domestic trips, particularly in rural or less densely populated areas, while air travel is more common for international journeys. Rail travel is especially important in countries with dense and efficient rail networks, where it offers a competitive alternative to both cars and short-haul flights.
Tourism spending and economic impact
Tourism is not only about mobility — it is also a major driver of economic activity. In 2023, EU residents spent approximately €553 billion on tourism trips. Average expenditure reached nearly €98 per night, reflecting both rising travel demand and higher prices linked to inflation, energy costs, and accommodation shortages in popular destinations.
Spending patterns vary markedly across the Union. Residents of wealthier member states tend to spend more per trip and per night, while travellers from Central and Eastern Europe generally record lower average expenditures. International trips typically involve higher spending than domestic travel due to transport and accommodation costs.
2024: consolidation at a higher level
Data for 2024 confirms that the recovery observed in 2023 was not temporary. EU residents made around 1.19 billion tourism trips in 2024, an increase of roughly 4–5% compared with the previous year. Domestic trips continued to account for just over 70% of all journeys, while international travel remained overwhelmingly intra-EU.
At the same time, tourism demand in accommodation establishments reached new highs. In 2024, the total number of nights spent in tourist accommodation across the EU exceeded 3 billion, the highest level ever recorded. This indicates not only strong demand but also sustained pressure on tourism infrastructure in many destinations.
Tourism expenditure also continued to grow in 2024, driven by higher prices and stable travel volumes. While detailed final spending figures are still being consolidated, Eurostat data points to a further increase in total tourism outlays compared with 2023.
Tourism as a structural pillar of Europe
The Eurostat data confirms that tourism is not merely a seasonal leisure activity but a structural pillar of Europe’s economic and social life. It supports millions of jobs across accommodation, transport, food services, culture, and retail, and plays a particularly important role in coastal, rural, and heritage-rich regions.
All figures are based on harmonised EU-wide statistical methodologies, ensuring comparability between countries and over time. Data is collected primarily through national household surveys and compiled according to common Eurostat definitions, making it a key reference for policymakers, researchers, and the tourism industry.
The picture that emerges for 2023–2024 is one of recovery, resilience, and regional closeness. Europeans are travelling frequently again, mostly for personal reasons, largely within their own countries or the EU, with a strong preference for short trips and summer holidays. Rising expenditure underscores tourism’s growing economic significance, while persistent inequalities in participation highlight challenges that remain as Europe balances growth, sustainability, and social inclusion.
Source: ec.europa.eu
