Tourism in Europe performed strongly at the end of 2024, thanks to high season demand and growing interest in the low season. According to a recent report by the European Travel Commission (ETC), arrivals from abroad increased by 6.3% compared to 2019 and by 6.7% compared to 2023, while the number of nights spent was up 5.9% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Tourists increasingly prefer value-for-money destinations, while travel costs continue to rise. According to the report, tourists spent 7.8% more across Europe in 2024, totalling €705 billion, with Western Europe accounting for a significant share.
Off-peak season travel is increasingly popular, as it offers lower prices and avoids summer heatwaves. Southern countries such as Portugal, Greece and Montenegro showed slowing growth towards the end of the year, while Italy bucked the trend with arrivals up 5.9% and overnight stays up 10% compared to 2019. Iceland, however, achieved an outstanding result, with 14% more tourists arriving in the fourth quarter, boosted by the extraordinary Northern Lights phenomenon.
Extreme weather conditions – floods, snowfalls and storms – caused disruptions in several countries, particularly in France, Germany and Spain. The recovery in long-haul travel remains slow, mainly due to a slowdown in demand from China. In contrast, US tourists have been visiting Europe in significant numbers, especially Turkey (+153%), Portugal (+91%) and Lithuania (+67%).
According to the ETC President, tourism will have to adapt to the changing environment and economic challenges in 2025. To achieve sustainable growth, strategic investments will be needed, in particular to balance seasonal fluctuations and diversify travel supply (ETC Corporate).
The full report is available at this link: European Tourism 2024 – Trends & Prospects (Q4/2024) – ETC Corporate – ETC Corporate