In 2023, tourism in the European Union reached record numbers, consolidating its recovery after the challenges of previous years. With 2.9 billion overnight stays in tourist accommodations, the region surpassed the 2.8 billion recorded in 2022. Of these, 1.6 billion came from domestic tourists and 1.4 billion from international guests, reflecting a balance between internal and external tourism.
Growth in International Tourism
Between 2022 and 2023, overnight stays by international visitors from outside Europe grew significantly, increasing from 12.6% to 15.6%. This represented a rise of 60 million additional nights, equivalent to 164,000 more foreign guests each night of the year, on average.
In terms of the origin of international tourists:
- 7.1% of overnight stays came from North American visitors.
- 4.6% from Asia.
- 2.2% from Central and South America.
- 1.0% from Oceania.
- 0.7% from Africa.
Despite the growth in visitors from outside Europe, tourists from other EU countries continued to dominate the figures, accounting for 62.4% of international overnight stays, while those from other European countries represented 21.4%.
Accommodation Capacity: Approaching 30 Million Beds
The European Union moved closer to 30 million tourist beds in 2023, reaching an estimated total of 29.2 million, up from 28.9 million in 2022.
Italy and France led in accommodation capacity, accounting for more than a third of the total:
- Italy: 5.2 million beds (18%).
- France: 5.1 million beds (17%).
They were followed by Spain and Germany, with 3.8 million (13%) and 3.4 million (13%) beds, respectively.
The Appeal of Coastal Areas
Almost half of all overnight stays (48%) in 2023 took place in accommodations located in coastal areas, with a total of 1.4 billion overnight stays.
Among EU countries with coastal regions, Malta stood out with 100% of its overnight stays occurring in coastal accommodations, followed by Cyprus (97%) and Greece (96%). In contrast, Belgium and Romania (both 18%) and Germany and Slovenia (both 19%) recorded the lowest percentages of overnight stays in coastal establishments.
More information:
Source: : EUROSTAT