Tourism in Europe in 2024: Record-Breaking Statistics, Inbound Growth & Future Outlook

The European Union concluded 2024 with a historic record — 2.99 billion tourist overnight stays, an increase of 53.4 million compared to 2023, according to Eurostat. The data confirms the steady recovery and growth of the tourism industry, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, inflationary pressures, and rising energy costs.

International Tourism Driving Growth

A key driver behind the sector’s success was the strong return of international tourists. Overnight stays by foreign visitors reached 1.43 billion, up by 58.7 million compared to the previous year. Domestic tourism slightly declined by 5.3 million to 1.56 billion, yet Europeans still accounted for 52% of all stays, while international travelers represented 48%.

Leading Destinations & Accommodation Trends

Hotels remained the most popular accommodation type (63%), followed by holiday homes (24%) and campsites (13%). The top four tourism destinations in terms of overnight stays were:

- Spain – 500 million
- Italy – 458 million
- France – 451 million
- Germany – 441 million

Together, these countries represented over 60% of the total EU tourism flow. Malta (+14.4%), Latvia (+7.4%), and Poland (+5.2%) reported the strongest year-on-year growth, while France, Belgium, Sweden, and Luxembourg saw stagnation or slight declines.

Rebound to Pre-Pandemic Levels

According to UN Tourism, global tourism nearly fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024, reaching 99% of 2019 levels. International arrivals totaled 1.4 billion, up 11% compared to 2023. Europe played a pivotal role in the rebound, with 747 million arrivals, even exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 1%.

Tourism revenues globally reached $1.6 trillion, up 3% year-on-year. Increased flight availability and hotel occupancy rates — averaging 66% in November — supported the recovery.

Forecasts for 2025 and Beyond

Experts predict further growth driven by rising tourist flows from the US, China, and Gulf countries. Emerging trends include:

- Agritourism
- Culinary and cultural experiences
- Exploration of less-traveled destinations
- Strengthening of domestic travel

Digitalization will further reshape the industry, with contactless services and AI-powered personalization becoming standard in hospitality.

Two major EU border control mechanisms — EES (Entry/Exit System) and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) — are set to launch in 2025. While these systems may influence flows slightly, analysts expect the sector to exceed 3.1 billion overnight stays if favorable conditions persist.