An analysis of Eurostat data reveals a dramatic increase in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation

In a remarkable rebound from the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union's tourism sector has not only recovered, but also reached new records in 2023.

Early estimates from Eurostat offer interesting insights into the revival of travel and accommodation across the EU.

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In 2023, the estimated number of nights spent in tourist accommodation reached an unprecedented 2.92 billion. This represents a significant achievement, exceeding pre-pandemic levels in 2019 (2.87 billion) by 1.6%. The EU accommodation sector has seen a remarkable recovery, setting a record for the number of nights spent.

Impressive growth in nights spent

Compared to 2022, 171 million more nights were spent in 2023, reflecting a significant increase of 6.3%. This increase was mainly fuelled by a notable increase in nights spent by international tourists (+146 million) and, to a lesser extent, by an increase in nights spent by domestic tourists (+25 million). Note that tourism levels, measured in terms of nights spent, were 25% higher than ten years ago in 2013 (2.33 billion nights spent).

Evidence of EU Member States

Almost all EU Member States saw an increase in the number of nights spent in 2023, with the exception of Luxembourg, which saw a slight decrease (-0.1 %). Malta and Cyprus stood out with an increase of more than 20%, while eight other EU Member States, including Germany, Spain and Romania, recorded increases of more than 10%. Germany and Spain led in absolute terms, with +32.8 million and +32.3 million nights spent respectively.

Changes in international and domestic tourism

After three years with a significantly lower share of international tourists (respectively 29%, 32%, and 44% of total nights spent in 2020, 2021 and 2022), foreigners accounted for 46% of the 2.87 billion nights spent in 2023. This shows an almost return to the pre-pandemic contribution of international tourists (47%). However, in terms of volume, international tourism is still recovering (-0.4% compared to 2019).

Hunting dynamics

In terms of accommodation types, hotels and similar establishments dominated, with 1.8 billion nights spent (63% of the total). Holiday and short-stay accommodation came second, with 24%, while campsites contributed 13% of total nights spent.

These early estimates from Eurostat point to a strong recovery in the EU tourism sector, suggesting a return to pre-pandemic levels, with international tourists playing a key role in this recovery. As we await more detailed statistics, these findings open up optimistic prospects for the EU travel industry.