European tourism reaches new highs in 2024, says ETC

12.07.2024 - 18:46 / traveldailynews.com / Miguel Sanz / Theodore Koumelis

Europe’s tourism in Q2 2024 surpasses 2019, driven by a 6% rise in foreign arrivals and 7% in overnights, fueled by intra-regional travel.

BRUSSELS – Europe’s tourism industry continued its recovery in the second quarter of 2024. Foreign arrivals (+6%) and overnights (+7%) surpassed 2019 figures, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 12% and 10%, respectively. The growth is propelled by robust intra-regional travel from Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. This is according to the latest edition of the ‘European Tourism Trends & Prospects’ quarterly report released by the European Travel Commission (ETC). This report monitors the performance of European tourism in the second quarter of 2024, providing a comprehensive analysis of the region’s latest tourism and macroeconomic developments.

Commenting on the report’s publication, Miguel Sanz, ETC’s President, said: “It is encouraging to see the increasing diversification of the European tourism landscape this quarter. This benefits both emerging destinations and established hotspots that may potentially face overcrowding. Furthermore, growing tourist numbers in lesser-known areas will help small businesses still recovering from the pandemic or struggling with rising operational costs due to the current economic context. We welcome a more balanced spread of tourism across Europe, contributing to the increasing sustainability of our industry.”

According to ETC, year-to-date data indicates that both traditional and non-traditional Southern European and Mediterranean destinations continue to be the most popular choices for tourists in Europe. Notable increases in arrivals compared to 2019 levels were recorded in lesser-known destinations such as Serbia (+40%) and Bulgaria (+29%), as well as long-standing favourites including Malta (+37%), Portugal (+26%) and Türkiye (+22%). The ongoing success of these destinations is partially due to their common offer of value-for-money experiences and generally favourable weather conditions.

The Nordic countries also show growing appeal, with foreign overnights up in Denmark (+38%), Norway (+18%), and Sweden (+9%). This indicates increasing success outside Southern Europe and in destinations that are relatively more expensive.

Conversely, the Baltic region continues to struggle, with Latvia (-24%), Estonia (-16%), and Lithuania (-15%) still experiencing international arrivals well below 2019.

Significant challenges continue to affect the travel sector. Tourism professionals cite rising costs of accommodation, business operations, and flights, along with staffing shortages, as major issues. Despite their ongoing impact, these challenges have lessened compared to the previous quarter.

Increases in business costs