The European statistics office Eurostat reported that the number of overnight stays in EU tourist accommodation establishments in 2023 reached 2.92 billion, surpassing the pre-pandemic 2019 level of 2.87 billion by 1.6%.
Eurostat's latest estimates on the accommodation sector in the EU indicate that in 2023, the sector reached a record high. The tourism industry showed signs of rebounding last year after the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional 171 million overnight stays were recorded in 2023 compared to 2022, representing a 6.3% increase. International visitors (+146 million) and domestic visitors (+25 million), to a lesser extent, were the main drivers of the increase in nights spent. The office also reported that the number of overnight stays in the tourism industry had risen by 25% compared to a decade ago, amounting to 2.33 billion overnight stays.
In 2023, all EU countries except Luxembourg recorded an increase in nights spent compared to the previous year. Luxembourg recorded a slight decrease of -0.1%. Malta and Cyprus had the highest growth rates, exceeding 20%, while Slovakia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Austria, Czechia, Portugal, Romania, and Greece had growth rates exceeding 10%. Germany and Spain recorded the most significant absolute increase in overnight stays, with 32.8 million and 32.3 million, respectively.
Over the past three years, there has been a significant decrease in the share of international tourists visiting Europe. However, in 2023, the proportion of international tourists increased to 46% of the 2.87 billion overnight stays recorded, almost the same level observed before the pandemic (47%).
In the EU, hotels and similar accommodations are the most popular segment, making up 63% of the total overnight stays, with 1.8 billion recorded. Holiday and other short-term accommodations comprised 24%, while campsites accounted for 13%.
