Contribution of leading destinations to inbound tourism in European countries 2022

In 2022, London played a prominent role in supporting international tourism in the United Kingdom. That year, the UK's capital accounted for roughly 52 percent of all inbound tourist arrivals in the country. Meanwhile, Paris represented nearly a quarter of the international arrivals to France, whereas travelers to Barcelona made up around 14 percent of inbound tourist arrivals in Spain in 2022.

Has European city tourism recovered from the impact of COVID-19?

As most countries worldwide eased all travel restrictions in 2022, the number of inbound tourist arrivals to leading travel destinations in Europe, like Paris, London, and Barcelona, increased sharply compared to the previous year. That said, in most cases it remained below pre-pandemic levels. With the rebound in arrivals, the number of bed nights in leading European city tourism destinations also bounced back, but did not catch up yet with the peaks from 2019. Overall, among the cities analyzed, Istanbul was the only destination exceeding pre-pandemic figures both in terms of international arrivals and bed nights.

What are the most visited European countries?

Both before and after the impact of the health crisis, France was the most visited European country by international travelers. In 2022, it reported nearly 80 million inbound arrivals, ranking ahead of Spain, Turkey, and Italy. On the other hand, Spain was the European country with the highest number of inbound tourism receipts, followed by the United Kingdom.