Summer travel in Europe - statistics & facts
Summer is the most important season for the European travel and tourism industry. While winter tourism in Europe is undoubtedly popular, thanks to the region’s renowned ski areas and Christmas markets, and the shoulder seasons are becoming increasingly relevant to travelers who want to avoid big crowds and high prices, summer still takes the lead. The number of monthly international tourist arrivals in Europe proves it: the period from June to September accounted for nearly half of total inbound arrivals in the region in 2023. With just over two-thirds of Europeans planning to take a summer vacation in 2024, then one big question arises: where are these travelers heading?
Aside from the rich festival season, big sporting events like the UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany and the Summer Olympic Games in France are also seen as key drivers of tourism in the summer of 2024. According to an analysis on the impact of the 2024 Olympics on tourism in Paris, the French capital could experience a 10 percent increase in inbound visitors compared to its pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, a 2024 study on the cities with the highest change in global tourist demand in summer revealed that Munich recorded the highest increase in share of flight bookings over 2019. The city hosts six games of the UEFA European Championship, as well as concerts by popular artists such as Taylor Swift and Adele.
These figures suggest that, regardless of the type of trip or destination, experiences can play an important role when it comes to travel plans. By contrast, be it after a relaxing beach holiday or an exciting city break, little or nothing is known yet on how to recover from that feeling when a summer vacation is over.
Summer travel plans in Europe
According to a 2024 study on the preferred summer holiday destinations by Europeans, the seaside ranked as the clear favorite, mentioned by over 60 percent of surveyed travelers in the region. Meanwhile, interest in city breaks was at its highest in Southern Europe, whereas vacations to the countryside were more popular in Western Europe. Breaking down Europeans’ intention to take a sun and beach holiday by country, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany came at the top, each with around a quarter of travelers planning such a trip between May and October 2024. Considering the same period but changing the focus from the main destination to the purpose of a trip reveals another interesting trend: more Europeans planned an overnight trip in Europe for a sports event or festival than for work-related purposes.A summer of festivals and big sporting events
The summer music festival’s offer in Europe is very diverse, ranging from large open-air events to city-based concerts spread across different venues. Looking at the attendance at music festivals in Europe shows that such events, no matter the formula, have a strong appeal to travelers. In 2023, summer festivals like the Sziget in Hungary and Tomorrowland in Belgium attracted roughly 400 thousand visitors, while tickets for the Glastonbury in England sold out in just over an hour.Aside from the rich festival season, big sporting events like the UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany and the Summer Olympic Games in France are also seen as key drivers of tourism in the summer of 2024. According to an analysis on the impact of the 2024 Olympics on tourism in Paris, the French capital could experience a 10 percent increase in inbound visitors compared to its pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, a 2024 study on the cities with the highest change in global tourist demand in summer revealed that Munich recorded the highest increase in share of flight bookings over 2019. The city hosts six games of the UEFA European Championship, as well as concerts by popular artists such as Taylor Swift and Adele.
These figures suggest that, regardless of the type of trip or destination, experiences can play an important role when it comes to travel plans. By contrast, be it after a relaxing beach holiday or an exciting city break, little or nothing is known yet on how to recover from that feeling when a summer vacation is over.
