European Tourism 2024 – Trends & Prospects (Q4/2024)

European tourism remains strong despite economic and environmental challenges

European tourism remained strong in late 2024, with foreign arrivals rising 6.3% over 2019 and a rise of 6.7% compared to 2023. Overnight stays have also grown by 5.9% above 2019, and 4.8% year-on-year. Despite economic pressures and extreme weather, demand stayed high, though inflation pushed travellers towards value-for-money destinations. Tourism spending grew by 7.8% to €705 billion, with Western Europe accounting for nearly 75% of the total.

The shift towards off-peak travel continued, benefiting smaller destinations. Serbia saw a 92.9% rise in tourist spending over 2019, while Iceland became the fastest-growing winter spot, with arrivals up 14%, driven by Northern Lights tourism. Southern Europe’s growth slowed, with Portugal, Greece, and Serbia still above 2019 levels, while Montenegro lagged. Extreme weather disrupted travel, especially in Spain’s Valencia region, where arrivals fell in November (4.2%) and December (-6.3%).

Long-haul recovery remains slow, with arrivals still 5% below 2019, mainly due to the slow recovery from Asia/Pacific, particularly China. US tourism, however, remained strong, with 22 of 27 destinations surpassing 2019 figures. Türkiye (+153%), Portugal (+91%), and Lithuania (+67%) led US arrivals, though economic uncertainty under the Trump administration could impact future travel demand.