The number of international tourist arrivals in Europe increased significantly in 2024 over the previous year, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, inbound arrivals in Europe totaled roughly *** million, making it the region with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide. What are the leading travel markets in Europe? Both before and after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, France topped the ranking of the European countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals, ahead of Spain, Italy, and Turkey. Overall, international tourist arrivals in France reached *** million in 2023. When looking at the European countries with the highest inbound tourism receipts, Spain recorded the highest figure that year, followed by the United Kingdom and France. The economic contribution of travel and tourism in Europe In 2023, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Europe’s gross domestic product amounted to over *** trillion U.S. dollars. This figure includes the direct, indirect, and induced impacts of these industries. Meanwhile, travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Europe reached nearly ** million that year.

This dataset provides values for TOURIST ARRIVALS reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

According to a 2025 study, the number of inbound tourist arrivals in Europe was expected to grow across all regions in that year. In 2025, Central and Eastern European countries were forecast to report the highest inbound tourism growth in Europe, with an estimated **** percent year-over-year increase in inbound arrivals.

The number of international tourist arrivals to the selected European destinations increased in 2024 over the previous year, in most cases surpassing pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, Paris and the Île-de-France region recorded the highest figure among the selected destinations, with **** million inbound tourist arrivals. London and Istanbul followed in the ranking that year, with roughly ** million and **** million arrivals, respectively. What are the most visited countries by international tourists? Both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, France was the country with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. Meanwhile, the United States consistently ranks as the country with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide. How many tourists travel every year? In 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide exceeded *** billion, catching up with pre-pandemic levels. Breaking down the number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide by region shows that Europe is the global leading destination for inbound tourism, with over *** million international tourist arrivals in 2024.

The average for 2020 based on 38 countries was 1.66 percent. The highest value was in France: 19.29 percent and the lowest value was in Moldova: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1995 to 2020. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Key information about European Union Visitor Arrivals

• European Union Visitor Arrivals recorded 428,483,244 person in Dec 2024, compared with 407,315,264 person in the previous year
• European Union Visitor Arrivals data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2008 to Dec 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 428,483,244 person in Dec 2024 and a record low of 113,379,583 person in Dec 2020

Key information about European Union Visitor Arrivals

• European Union Visitor Arrivals grew 5.2 % in Dec 2024, compared with an increase of 18.5 % in the previous year
• European Union Visitor Arrivals Growth rate data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2009 to Dec 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 120.6 % in Dec 2022 and a record low of -72.3 % in Dec 2020

• In the latest reports, European Union Visitor Arrivals recorded 428,483,244.0 person in the year of Dec 2024
• Tourism Revenue of European Union reached 432.2 USD bn in Dec 2019, an increase of 9.0 % change from the previous year

The number of intra-European tourist arrivals in Europe grew significantly in 2023 over the previous year. Despite the annual increase, intra-European arrivals in the region did not fully recover from the impact of COVID-19, totaling *** million in 2023. This figure was forecast to reach an estimated *** million in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. What are the preferred travel destinations for intra-European trips? In a 2024 survey on the travel intentions of Europeans, nearly ** percent of respondents planned to travel outside their home country while staying in Europe. That year, Spain, Italy, and France ranked as the preferred European destinations for the next trip among European travelers. What is the travel budget of Europeans? Looking at the travel budget of Europeans planning a trip in 2024, over a quarter of the surveyed travelers estimated to spend between *** and 1,000 euros on their next trip. When breaking down the expected travel budget of Europeans by age group, respondents aged 25 to 34 reported being the most likely to spend over ***** euros, whereas travelers aged 18 to 24 were the most inclined to have a budget of under *** euros.

Key information about European Union Tourism Revenue Growth

• European Union Tourism Revenue grew 0.1 % YoY in Dec 2019, compared with an increase of 9.1 % YoY in the previous year
• European Union Tourism Revenue Growth rate data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2000 to Dec 2019
• The data reached an all-time high of 16.3 % in Dec 2003 and a record low of -13.5 % in Dec 2009

India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 35 to 44 Years: Western Europe: United Kingdom data was reported at 191,341.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 184,609.000 Person for 2016. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 35 to 44 Years: Western Europe: United Kingdom data is updated yearly, averaging 158,352.000 Person from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2017, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 191,341.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 108,633.000 Person in 2008. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 35 to 44 Years: Western Europe: United Kingdom data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table IN.QB022: Foreign Tourist Arrivals: by Age Group: 35 to 44 Years.

Tourist Arrivals in the United States increased to 6275257 in July from 5278944 in June of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Tourist Arrivals- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In December 2024, international tourist arrivals in Europe remained slightly below the figure reported in 2019, totaling around **** million. Overall, **** and ****** were the months with the highest volume of tourist arrivals in Europe, either before or after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Western Europe: Spain data was reported at 16,126.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 14,963.000 Person for 2016. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Western Europe: Spain data is updated yearly, averaging 13,281.000 Person from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2017, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,126.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 10,487.000 Person in 2008. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Western Europe: Spain data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table IN.QB023: Foreign Tourist Arrivals: by Age Group: 45 to 54 Years.

This collection covers national tourism, in other words tourism by residents of a country to destinations in the country of residence (domestic tourism) or abroad (outbound tourism).

Alternatively, this part of tourism statistics is sometimes referred to as "the demand side".

Data are collected by the competent national authorities of the Member States (generally the national statistical institute) and are compiled according to harmonised concepts and definitions and recommended methodological guidelines, before transmission to Eurostat. Most of the time, data on domestic and outbound trips (where "outbound tourism" means residents of a country travelling to another country) is collected via sample surveys. However, in a few cases the data relating to outbound flows are compiled from border surveys. Surveys are generally conducted on a monthly or quarterly basis.

The concepts and definitions used in the collection of data are backed by the specifications described in the Methodological manual for tourism statistics.

The information on tourism demand concerns trips (for the population aged 15 years and over) of which the main purpose is holidays or business and which involve at least one or more consecutive nights spent away from the usual place of residence. Member States are transmitting microdata to Eurostat, which enables a more detailed analysis of the data, as well as better use of partner data.

Aggregated data on participation in tourim are also transmitted to Eurostat and cover the resident population aged 15 or over, participating in tourism for personal purpose during the reference year. Finally, the data also include aggregate data on same-day visits.

Microdata on trips of EU residents as well as participation data and data on same-day visits are transmitted to Eurostat one time per year. Data are disseminated when they respect agreed validation rules and other quality criteria.

India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Western Europe: Finland data was reported at 4,872.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,537.000 Person for 2016. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Western Europe: Finland data is updated yearly, averaging 4,938.000 Person from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2017, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,388.000 Person in 2013 and a record low of 4,537.000 Person in 2016. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Western Europe: Finland data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table IN.QB023: Foreign Tourist Arrivals: by Age Group: 45 to 54 Years.

India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Eastern Europe: Czech Republic data was reported at 2,228.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,353.000 Person for 2016. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Eastern Europe: Czech Republic data is updated yearly, averaging 2,020.000 Person from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,353.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 1,636.000 Person in 2010. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 45 to 54 Years: Eastern Europe: Czech Republic data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table IN.QB023: Foreign Tourist Arrivals: by Age Group: 45 to 54 Years.

India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 15 to 24 Years: Western Europe: Spain data was reported at 6,271.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,649.000 Person for 2016. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 15 to 24 Years: Western Europe: Spain data is updated yearly, averaging 4,198.500 Person from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2017, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,271.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,819.000 Person in 2009. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 15 to 24 Years: Western Europe: Spain data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table IN.QB020: Foreign Tourist Arrivals: by Age Group: 15 to 24 Years.

India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 35 to 44 Years: Western Europe data was reported at 416,066.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 399,794.000 Person for 2016. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 35 to 44 Years: Western Europe data is updated yearly, averaging 378,271.000 Person from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2017, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 416,066.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 296,680.000 Person in 2008. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 35 to 44 Years: Western Europe data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table IN.QB022: Foreign Tourist Arrivals: by Age Group: 35 to 44 Years.

International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$) in European Union was reported at 340345899170 USD in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - International tourism, expenditures for travel items - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Snapshot img

Europe Tourism Market Size 2025-2029

The Europe tourism market size is forecast to increase by USD 250.97 billion, at a CAGR of 5.7% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the region's rich cultural and historical attractions. Sustainable and eco-tourism are emerging trends, as travelers increasingly prioritize environmentally friendly travel options. However, the hospitality industry faces challenges due to labor shortages, which may impact the quality of services provided to tourists. These factors, among others, are shaping the tourism landscape in Europe. Cultural and historical sites continue to be major draws for tourists, contributing to the growth of the market. Moreover, there is a rising demand for sustainable tourism practices, with travelers seeking to minimize their carbon footprint and support local communities. However, the hospitality industry is grappling with labor shortages, which may impact the overall tourism experience. Addressing these challenges will be crucial for the continued growth and success of the European tourism market.

What will be the Size of the market During the Forecast Period?

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The market encompasses various sectors, including vacations, cultural experiences, medical tourism, and recreational activities. This dynamic industry generates substantial income through the provision of travel packages, flights, lodging, and self-catered options. Tourism caters to diverse traveler profiles, such as solo, couple, and group travelers, offering customized experiences on travel websites and mobile apps. Technological integration is a significant trend, with online booking platforms and promotional operations leveraging digital tools to enhance accessibility and convenience.
Infrastructure development plays a crucial role in attracting tourist arrivals, with an emphasis on improving access to vacation destinations and enhancing the quality of accommodations, ranging from hotels to private homes and hot spring resorts. The industry's growth is driven by increasing disposable income and the desire for unique experiences, leading to the emergence of niche markets like medical tourism and spa vacations. Education and staff training are essential components of the tourism industry, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services and maintaining safety standards.

How is this market segmented and which is the largest segment?

The market research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Service Type

  Leisure tourism
  Business tourism


Type

  Domestic
  International


Geography

  Europe

    Germany
    UK
    France
    Italy

By Service Type Insights

The leisure tourism segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

Leisure tourism dominates the European tourism market, driven by travelers in pursuit of relaxation, cultural exploration, and adventure. This segment includes various subcategories, each catering to distinct tourist preferences. Notably, cultural and heritage tourism attracts visitors to historical sites, museums, and UNESCO world heritage sites. Europe's abundant cultural heritage showcases iconic destinations such as Rome's Colosseum, Paris' Louvre, Athens' Acropolis, and Prague's Old Town. These sites offer visitors a good journey into the continent's historical and cultural legacy. Additionally, sustainable tourism is gaining popularity, with travelers increasingly seeking eco-friendly accommodations and responsible travel practices. Adventure travel, family vacations, and solo female travel also represent significant subcategories.

Travelers prioritize safety, convenience, and affordability when planning their trips, influencing travel marketing strategies and infrastructure development. Travel trends include road trips, educational travel, luxury travel, and wellness tourism. Tourism initiatives focus on promoting unique experiences, accessibility, and revenue generation through all-inclusive resorts, travel booking platforms, and tourism events. Government marketing efforts, investment, and tourism policies aim to foster sustainable growth and address challenges such as infrastructure development, travel risks, and tourism and environment concerns. Travel analytics and travel technology play a crucial role in the industry, enabling travelers to access real-time information, compare prices, and book accommodations and flights.

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Market Dynamics

Our Europe Tourism Market researchers analyzed the data with 2024 as the base year, along with the key drivers, trends, and challenges. A holistic analysis of drivers will help companies refine t