Inbound tourism in Europe - statistics & facts

Inbound tourism refers to the arrival of non-resident visitors to a destination from other areas of the world. It is particularly relevant for the travel and tourism market in Europe and often has seasonal patterns. Nearly 600 million inbound tourists traveled to Europe in 2022, making it the most popular region for international tourist arrivals worldwide that year. Overall, international visitors accounted for just under a third of the total travel and tourism spending in Europe in 2022, denoting a decline of four percentage points compared to 2019, the year before the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Has inbound tourism in Europe recovered from the impact of COVID-19?

While the number of travelers reported a sharp annual increase in 2022 and kept growing in the first half of 2023, total arrivals in the region did not catch up yet with pre-pandemic levels. For instance, monthly international tourist arrivals in Europe reached nearly 90 million in July 2023, exceeding the figure from the previous year but still being around seven percent below the volume from July 2019. Overall, when looking at the change in monthly arrivals in Europe by region, it emerges that the Southern and Mediterranean countries are recovering faster than other European destinations. In July 2023, inbound arrivals in Southern and Mediterranean Europe – the most visited subregion by international tourists worldwide – were two percent higher compared to 2019. By contrast, Central and Eastern European countries still recorded a 30 percent decrease over the same period.

What are the leading countries for inbound tourism in Europe?

Both before and after the impact of the pandemic, France was the most visited European destination by inbound visitors, ahead of Spain, Turkey, and Italy, also ranking as the country with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2022. That year, Spain and the United Kingdom were the leading European destinations based on inbound tourism receipts, just placing behind the United States in the list of countries with the highest inbound tourism receipts worldwide. When focusing on intra-European tourism, referring to the visits of European travelers to another destination within the region, a September 2023 survey found that France, Italy, Spain, and Germany were the preferred destinations in Europe for European travelers’ next trip.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Nov 29, 2023

Key insights

International tourist arrivals in Europe
594.9m
International tourism spending in Europe
524bn USD
European region with the highest number of international tourist arrivals
Southern/Mediterranean Europe
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