From Cities to Countryside: European Accommodation Sentiment

Findings from the 2026 European Accommodation Barometer have revealed a pronounced U-shaped pattern in sentiment across the urban–rural continuum. Large cities and rural destinations consistently outperformed mid-sized and smaller cities on every measure, from past business performance through to future expectations. Rural hoteliers were the most positive about what lies ahead, with 70% giving a positive response on future performance, ahead of large cities (64%), small cities (63%) and mid-size cities (60%). The same pattern held for occupancy, where 58% of rural and 52% of large-city hoteliers responded positively, compared with 41% in mid-size cities and 42% in small cities.

The very different operating environments of large cities and rural jurisdictions mean that profit margins, operational costs and occupancy expectations are likely to differ greatly between accommodations in these locations. Large cities benefit from scale and pricing power, reflected in their strength on average daily rate (46%, against 24% for mid-size cities). Rural areas may face a lighter cost base.

This excerpt and infographic have been adapted from the 2026 European Accommodation Barometer. You can download the full report here along with local-language country reports covering the results from 15 of the surveyed countries.