The variety of nights spent in vacationer lodging within the European Union in 2022 approached pre-pandemic ranges, the bloc’s statistics workplace Eurostat mentioned on Wednesday.
The 27-nation bloc recorded 2.72 billion nights spent in vacationer lodging final 12 months, down by solely 5.6% from 2019 ranges, earlier than COVID-19 inflicted heavy losses on the tourism business attributable to border closures and lockdowns.
This quantity is a rise of 91.1% and 48.3% from 2020 and 2021 ranges, respectively. The figures cowl short-stay lodging in accommodations and related institutions, in addition to tenting grounds, leisure car parks and trailer parks.
SPAIN’S TOURISM REVENUE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY 5% THIS YEAR COMPARED TO PRE-PANDEMIC
“The sector appears to be strongly rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic,” mentioned Eurostat.
Home journey noticed the strongest restoration, already exceeding pre-pandemic ranges by 0.7% to 1.53 billion nights, whereas worldwide tourism was nonetheless 12.6% beneath at 1.19 billion nights.
Vacationers shelter underneath umbrellas throughout a heatwave in Toledo, Spain, on June 28, 2019.
(REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte)
Amongst single EU states, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium noticed the most important improve in each home and foreign travellers, exceeding 2019 figures by 12.3%, 3.9%, and 0.5%, respectively, joined by non-EU members Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.
Latvia and Slovakia have been among the many slowest recovering nations by way of vacationer night time numbers in 2022, solely recovering to barely above 70% of 2019 ranges.
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Trying forward, the 12 months 2023 “may see worldwide tourism arrivals return to pre-pandemic ranges in Europe and the Center East”, the World Tourism Group (WTO) mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday.
The United Nations-led company anticipates the restoration to final all through 2023, with the latest lifting of COVID-19-related journey restrictions in China and strong demand from america, supported by a powerful U.S. greenback.
The UN WTO cautions, nonetheless, that the unsure financial setting and geopolitical tensions might affect tourism behaviour, with diminished bills, shorter journeys and local travels.
