City tourism in Europe - statistics & facts
Cities are the beating heart of European tourism. From the bustling streets of London, home to some of the most visited museums worldwide, to the enchanting canals of Venice, the region boasts a wealth of options for urban tourists. The contribution of leading city destinations to Europe’s inbound tourism market is undeniable. In 2023, London accounted for over half of international tourist arrivals in the United Kingdom, while visitors to Rome, Venice, and Milan, combined, represented nearly 30 percent of inbound tourism in Italy.
Although city trips do not enjoy the same level of popularity throughout Europe, there is no doubt that urban tourism will remain a key component of the region’s tourism market in the years to come. Therefore, understanding how to deal with overtourism will be a fundamental issue for all the most visited European cities, as finding the right balance between success and sustainability is what will likely define Europe’s leading destinations of the future.
What are the most visited cities in Europe?
It can be challenging to compare tourism in different cities due to the wide range of methods used to compile data. That said, two European cities stand out from the crowd: Paris and London. In 2023, Paris and Île-de-France, the region surrounding the French capital, welcomed over 20 million inbound visitors, taking the top spot in a ranking of leading European travel destinations based on international tourist arrivals, ahead of London, Istanbul, and Barcelona. Meanwhile, the UK’s capital was the European city with the highest number of overnight stays that year, as well as the destination in Europe with the most Airbnb listings. In both of these rankings, Paris came in second place.Do European travelers like city trips?
In a 2024 study, roughly two out of 10 Europeans intended to take a city break, either domestically or in another European destination, making it one of the most popular types of holiday in Europe. Meanwhile, France, Italy, and Germany were the preferred European countries for a city trip. While city breaks ranked just behind seaside holidays in a survey on the favorite destinations for summer vacations in Europe in 2024, the popularity of this type of trip varied significantly across the region. That year, around a third of surveyed travelers in Southern Europe said that cities were their preferred destination for a summer holiday, as opposed to less than a quarter of respondents in Eastern Europe.Although city trips do not enjoy the same level of popularity throughout Europe, there is no doubt that urban tourism will remain a key component of the region’s tourism market in the years to come. Therefore, understanding how to deal with overtourism will be a fundamental issue for all the most visited European cities, as finding the right balance between success and sustainability is what will likely define Europe’s leading destinations of the future.
