Europeans have a thirst for travel. According to the latest figures from Eurostat, on Wednesday 16 October 2024, EU residents made 61.6 million more trips in 2023 than in 2022, an increase of 5.7%. In total, 1.14 billion overnight stays were recorded in 2023.

Leisure tourism continues to dominate the sector, with 90% of trips made for personal reasons in 2023 (1.029 billion stays). Business travel accounted for the remaining 10%. Although Europeans are frequent travellers, they remain attached to their own regions. Around three-quarters (73%) of their excursions are domestic.

A preference for nearby destinations is also reflected in a tendency for shorter stays: more than half of travellers (56.5%) opt for getaways of one to three nights.

People from Luxembourg the champions of tourist spending

However, travel remains a luxury that comes at a high price. The tourism sector grew in 2023, but against a backdrop of widespread inflation. Spending by travellers jumped by 16.5% compared to 2022 and reached €553bn. This increase is mainly due to higher prices for transport, accommodation and other tourism-related goods and services.

EU residents spent an average of €97.60 per night during their stay. That’s almost half the figure for tourists from Luxembourg--people from the grand duchy are the biggest spenders, with an average of €183 per night, says figures from the EU’s statistics bureau. People from Austria (€161) and Ireland (€143) complete the podium. Conversely, the Greeks (€48), the Poles (€52) and the Czechs (€57) are those who spend the least.

This article was originally published in .