Europe’s tourism industry continues to recover in the second quarter of 2024, with international tourist spending expected to reach €800 billion, a 37% increase compared to 2019 levels (€583 billion).
The latest European Travel Commission (ETC) report also revealed that the number of international visitors increased by 6 percent compared to 2019, Schengen.News reports.
Americans to drive EU tourism boom in 2024
The report adds that American tourists were ranked the best performing group, driving the European tourism boom this year. 72 percent of record tourism spending so far took place in Western European destinations, the report said. Further revenue growth came from inter-regional visitors and repeat tourists from East Asia, particularly China.
European tourism continued to recover in Q2 2024. International visitor numbers (+6%) and overnight stays (+7%) surpassed 2019 figures, increasing 12% and 10% year-on-year respectively. This growth is driven by increased intra-regional travel from Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands.
European Travel Commission (ETC)
According to the ETC report, the four EU countries that have experienced the most notable increases in inbound spending so far this year are:
Spain (25%) Greece (25%) Italy (20%) France (16%)
At the same time, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are expected to see an increase in tourism receipts as the average length of stay in 2024 is expected to be longer than in the previous year.
Compared to the data recorded in 2019, the biggest increases in arrivals this year were seen in less popular destinations such as Serbia (+40 percent) and Bulgaria (+29 percent), as well as traditionally popular destinations such as Malta (+37 percent), Portugal (+26 percent) and Turkey (+22 percent).
Other Nordic countries are also growing in appeal, with Denmark (+38 percent), Norway (+18 percent) and Sweden (+9 percent) seeing increases in foreign overnight stays. In contrast, the Baltic region continues to struggle, with international arrivals still well below 2019 levels in Latvia (-24 percent), Estonia (-16 percent) and Lithuania (-15 percent).
International travelers are choosing lesser known destinations like Albania and Montenegro because of better value for money
This year, travellers are opting for off-season travel and lesser known destinations in search of value for money and unique, authentic experiences, resulting in Albania and Montenegro seeing significant increases in market share since 2019, by 86% and 31%, respectively.
Another opportunity for travelers planning to visit Europe is increased rail capacity: Germany’s national rail company, Deutsche Bahn, expects to increase its international routes by 21 percent between 2019 and 2023, mostly benefiting neighboring countries.
