In the first half of 2023, EU tourism experienced a remarkable comeback, with room night numbers in the bloc’s tourist accommodations surging to a record-breaking 1,193 million, surpassing the pre-pandemic figures of 2019.
The robust recovery of the European tourism sector signifies the bounce-back from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights a renewed traveller interest in destinations the EU offers, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
11 Million More Room Nights Than in 2019
According to the Statistical Office of the EU, Eurostat, compared to the 1,182 million nights spent in tourist accommodations in the first half of 2019, the figures for 2023 displayed a significant increase of almost 11 million.
Each month in the first half of 2023 demonstrated remarkable growth, surpassing the figures of 2022, notably with January experiencing a substantial 45 per cent increase and February following closely with a strong 27 per cent surge.
When comparing the first half of 2023 to the same period in 2022, which saw a total of 1,057 million overnight stays, there was an increase of 136 million overnight stays in 2023.
In contrast, the year 2021, which was marked as the starting point for tourism’s recovery post-pandemic, had the lowest figures, even when compared to 2020.
The first half of 2023 witnessed a remarkable surge, boasting an additional 786 million overnight stays compared to the 407 million recorded in 2021.
Taking a broader perspective and comparing the first half of 2023 to the same period in 2020, when there were 475 million overnight stays, 2023 clearly stands out with a substantial increase of 718 million.
Cyprus, Malta & Slovakia Saw Most Significant Improvements in Overnight Stays
In the country-specific data, all member states experienced an increase in overnight stays compared to the previous year, 2022, except for Hungary, which recorded a marginal decrease of -0.3 per cent.
Particularly standing out for their significant improvements in overnight stays in 2023 compared to 2022 are Cyprus, with a 38.3 per cent increase, Malta, demonstrating a substantial 30.5 per cent rise, and Slovakia, registering a notable 28.7 per cent surge.
Though the numbers of overnight stays have shown an increase when compared to the figures from the first half of 2022, in contrast to 2019, the numbers are lower. In half of the countries, the goal of reaching the overnight stay numbers recorded in the first half of 2019 remains unattained.
Countries such as Latvia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Lithuania face the challenge of reaching the 2019 figures, with each experiencing significant decreases of -23 per cent, -16 per cent, -12.2 per cent, and -11.7 per cent, respectively.
International Tourism Surges in 2023 With 22.5%
In 2023, there was a notable increase in international tourism, with a 22.5 per cent rise in the number of nights spent by foreign tourists, totalling 545 million nights in the first half of the year.
The number of stays accounted for 46 per cent of all overnight stays, while domestic tourism also saw a 5.8 per cent increase.
Over recent years, the share of foreign tourists experienced significant fluctuations due to the pandemic.
It began at 47 per cent in the first half of 2019 and dropped to 36 per cent in the first half of 2020, further declining to 21 per cent in 2021. However, there was a robust recovery in 2022, with foreign tourists making up 42 per cent of all visitors.