The tourism sector in Europe saw numbers surpass the figures recorded in 2019 within the first months of this year.
Both, overnight stays and foreign arrivals have shown strong signs of recovery in the first months of 2024.
The report
The European Travel Commission (ETC) issued a report recently in which it compared the data of this year with that of 2019.
The report showed that foreign arrivals had increased 7.2% and overnight stays saw an increase of 6.5% from 2019. Miguel Sanz, the President of ETC, commented on the numbers.
He said that there is likely going to be a notable increase in consumer travel spending across Europe. They expect it to reach record numbers in the coming months.
This growth is also an improvement over the numbers recorded in 2023. Foreign arrivals in 2023 were 1.2% below those in 2019. Meanwhile, the overnight stays were 0.2% lower.
Strong travel within the region has led to resurgence in European tourism. These include countries like Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Simultaneously, the United States has also played a key role in the recovery. It is the leading market in Europe with long resources.
Southern EU countries
The ETC report also highlighted the countries that had seen major increases in visitor numbers as compared to 2019. These include Bulgaria, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Turkiye and Serbia.
There was an increase in the number of overnight stays recorded in countries like Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
But, the ongoing war in Ukraine has led to challenges for countries in the Baltic region. International arrivals in countries like Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have decreased.
Canada and the United States are dominant where long-haul source markets are concerned. Travelers from Latin America, have increased, especially from Brazil.
Nonetheless, there is slow recovery in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in attracting travelers from Japan.
The challenges
In its report, the ETC said that these results were undoubtedly positive. However, there are still significant challenges for the European tourism industry.
These include geopolitical uncertainties and inflationary pressures that have stemmed from the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine.
According to industry professionals, some key concerns are staff shortages, business expenses and accommodation costs.
Regardless, travel remains a top priority for consumers in 2024. According to forecasts, travelers are expected to spend €742.8 billion this year in Europe.
This would be a 14.3% increase from last year’s spending. This summer, Europe will also host two notable sporting events.
These are the Olympic Games and the UEFA European Football Championship, which will be held in France and Germany, respectively.
Both domestic and international tourists are expected to attend these sporting events. Thus, the host cities and countries are expected to record significant economic benefits.
