tourist overnight — tourist overnight — Cyprus has emerged as the European Union (EU) leader for tourism growth in 2024, registering the highest year-on-year growth in overnight stays among all member states, according to Eurostat. The EU’s statistical office reported on Friday that Cyprus saw a significant increase of 14.5 per cent in the number of nights spent in its tourist accommodation establishments compared with 2023.
- This impressive figure places Cyprus ahead of Malta, which recorded a close second at 14.4 per cent. Latvia followed with a more modest growth rate of 7.4 per cent.
This impressive figure places Cyprus ahead of Malta, which recorded a close second at 14.4 per cent. Latvia followed with a more modest growth rate of 7.4 per cent.
The strong performance by Cyprus has contributed to a remarkable milestone for the EU, where the total number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments has exceeded three billion for the first time. Across the entire EU, the number of nights spent increased by 2.7 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year.
While Cyprus and other nations experienced growth, only two countries recorded slight decreases in overnight stays compared with 2023. Finland saw a decline of 0.7 per cent, while France’s overnight stays dipped by 0.6 per cent. Belgium and Sweden maintained relatively stable figures, each showing a modest increase of 0.3 per cent.
Of the total 3.02 billion nights spent across the EU, domestic guests accounted for the majority, making up 51.9 per cent or 1.57 billion nights. The remaining 48.1 per cent (1.45 billion) were international visitors. When examining international travel more closely, it becomes clear that the majority of nights spent by foreign guests (61.6 per cent) were by tourists from other EU countries.
Tourists from other European nations accounted for 21.3 per cent of international stays, while only 16.4 per cent of these overnight stays came from guests outside Europe. Among the non-European regions, North America led with 7.5 per cent of all international stays, followed by Asia at 4.9 per cent, Central and South America at 2.3 per cent, Oceania at 1.0 per cent, and Africa at 0.8 per cent.
In terms of accommodation types used across the EU, nearly two-thirds (62.8 per cent) of all overnight stays were spent in hotels and similar establishments. Holiday and short-stay accommodations, such as rented apartments, accounted for 23.7 per cent of nights, while camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks, and trailer parks made up the remaining 13.5 per cent.
