European hotels, tour operators, and airlines are currently hosting a record number of tourists, and neither russians nor Chinese are on the list. Find out how the European tourism industry has changed after the covid restrictions

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Europe is experiencing a tourist boom, as millions of tourists have finally felt free after the covid restrictions were lifted. According to DW, neither inflation in the EU, nor Germany's recession, nor bad weather and fires in the Mediterranean stop the flow of travelers. 

It's also important that this year's tourism boom is not at all like the previous ones. After all, the record number of tourists in Europe was recorded despite the sharp decline in russian and Chinese tourists. Read more about which countries have imposed restrictions on the entry of russians here.

If you are planning a trip to Ukraine or between cities around the world, we recommend using Visit Ukraine's convenient train/bus/plane ticket booking service. Here you can view the available options, timetables, and purchase the necessary tickets quickly and easily. The website has a bonus points system that allows you to travel much cheaper.

Ten-year high: what will happen to EU tourism in 2023?

According to a report on the Eurostat website, in the first half of 2023, the flow of tourists reached a record level over the past decade. It is noted that in the first half of this year, 1,193 million nights were spent in tourist facilities, which is almost 11 million more than in the same period in 2019, 718 million more nights than in 2020, 786 million more than in 2021, and 136 million more nights than in the first half of 2022.

Compared to 2022, the number of overnight stays increased in all EU countries, except Hungary, where a decrease of 0.3% was recorded. Cyprus (39.3%), Malta (30.5%), and Slovakia (28.7%) showed particularly high growth.

Not only hotels, but also airlines and airports recorded record figures. For example, the largest European low-cost airline Ryanair reported the best result in terms of passenger numbers in July-August 2023 in the company's history. In the last month of summer, the low-cost airline carried a record 18.9 million passengers. Comparing the current year's figures with last year's, the increase was 12%.

And it's not just the success of a particular airline, as a significant increase in tourists is also evidenced by the published reports of a number of other air carriers for the first half of the year.

It's worth reminding you that the summer vacation season is over, and that's why many airlines offer big discounts on flights. Read where you can fly from Poland in October from 8 euros here.

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Which European traveled the most?

The most avid travelers this year were residents of Germany. Thus, according to a report by one of the largest tour operators, this summer in Germany they bought 10% more tours than last year. At the same time, 80% of tourists did not save on travel and booked 4-5-star hotels. 

At the same time, this trend is expected to continue, as the number of booked tours for the winter is already 15% higher than last year. Winter vacations in Egypt and the Canary Islands are in the greatest demand.

In summer, however, Germans preferred all-inclusive family vacations, particularly in Greece, Turkey, and Italy.

Prospects for tourism in Europe in 2024

It is expected that in 2024 the flow of tourists to Europe will only increase as China lifts covid restrictions on group travel abroad. Currently, the border is open for travel to France, Portugal, the UK, and Germany.

In addition, according to a survey conducted by IPK International, a consulting company specializing in the study of the global travel market, more than 80% of respondents in China said they plan to travel abroad in the next 12 months. At the same time, it is noted that Europe, not Asia, is of the greatest interest among them. 

By the way, it has become known that North Korea is opening its borders to foreign tourists for the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, but only under certain conditions.

We remind you! According to official information from the Administration of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, more than 1.3 million foreigners crossed the Ukrainian border from 01.01.2023 to 01.08.2023. Read more about the citizens of which countries and for what purpose came to Ukraine most often in our previous article.

Photo: Freepik

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