Travel and tourism in Europe - statistics & facts
Europe is the global leader in the international tourism market. The extraordinary rich variety of its cultural sites, cuisines, languages, and landscapes, combined with top-class travel infrastructure and services, makes the region a highly attractive destination for tourists from all over the world. In 2023, Europe alone accounted for over half of international tourist arrivals worldwide, with inbound arrivals exceeding 700 million. Such a high influx of visitors has a significant economic impact in the whole region, with the total contribution of travel and tourism to Europe’s GDP amounting to over two trillion euros in 2023. Meanwhile, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the European job market was forecast to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with nearly 40 million jobs projected to be generated, directly and indirectly, by this sector.
In this respect, offering enticing travel experiences for all budgets is certainly an aspect not to be overlooked by European destinations, as the rise in the overall cost of trips ranked as the main concern of European travelers in 2024. That said, as Europe’s popularity among tourists keeps growing, dealing with overtourism, rather than with a potential decline in visitors, will likely be the most pressing challenge for the region in the years ahead.
What are the most popular travel destinations in Europe?
When breaking down the number of international tourist arrivals in Europe by region, Southern/Mediterranean Europe attracted the most travelers, both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, four destinations bordering the Mediterranean Sea led the ranking of the countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals in Europe. That year, France topped the list with 100 million arrivals, followed by Spain, Italy, and Turkey. On the other hand, Spain was the European country with the highest international tourism receipts in 2023, ahead of the United Kingdom, whereas France came third in that case.Interregional travel is key for inbound tourism in Europe
European visitors represent the biggest resource for the European inbound tourism market, as interregional tourist arrivals in Europe reached over 500 million in 2023. In particular, a survey on the travel intentions of Europeans in 2024 showed that visiting neighboring countries had greater appeal than domestic travel, with over 30 percent of respondents intending to take such a trip that year. Looking at the estimated budget of Europeans who planned to travel in 2024, either domestically or within the region, roughly a quarter of the sample predicted to spend between 500 and 1,000 euros on their next European trip. Comparatively, less than 15 percent of surveyed travelers expected to have a budget of above 2,500 euros.In this respect, offering enticing travel experiences for all budgets is certainly an aspect not to be overlooked by European destinations, as the rise in the overall cost of trips ranked as the main concern of European travelers in 2024. That said, as Europe’s popularity among tourists keeps growing, dealing with overtourism, rather than with a potential decline in visitors, will likely be the most pressing challenge for the region in the years ahead.
