Mediterranean Observer
On 8 March, Eurostat published 2023 data on tourist accommodation, showing an increase of 6.1% in nights spent compared to 2022. Overall, the year marked a record-breaking number of nights spent, nearing 3 billion across the EU.
While this is a promising trend for the hospitality sector, the recovery is far from being even.
17 countries, among which Latvia, Slovakia, and Hungary faring the lowest number of nights spent, are still below the 2019 pre-pandemic levels. 9 other countries easily surpass them. When it comes to international guests, Czechia and Slovakia, on the contrary, lead the way with an impressive 29% increase in nights spent in 2023 compared to 2022. In total, hotels accounted for two-thirds (63%) of all nights spent in 2023, followed by STRs and camping grounds with respectively 24% and 13%. Moreover, the trend of domestic tourism continues to strengthen numbers, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 2.8%.
The data bring a positive outlook suggesting ongoing recovery of the hospitality industry. Nevertheless, as disparities are still visible across the EU, there is a need to further implement tailored strategies and foster inclusive growth to ensure a more resilient tourism landscape overall.
