ForwardKeys: City Destinations Outpace Sun & Beach Holidays in Europe’s Tourism Revival

Photo source: ForwardKeys

Urban city destinations are leading the charge in Europe’s tourism revival, outpacing traditional sun and beach holidays, according to travel intelligence provider ForwardKeys.

Releasing data on Tuesday, ForwardKeys predicts that Europe is set for an exceptional summer, with inbound tourism projected to surpass previous records.

Overall, according to the data, international arrivals to Europe in July and August show year-on-year growth of 12 percent, just above the global average (+11 percent). The growth is driven primarily by intra-regional travel — up 10 percent compared to 2023 — and a significant influx of visitors from long-haul markets in Asia Pacific (+11 percent) and the United States (+21 percent).

“Increases in flight searches and ticket bookings indicate a robust interest in European destinations, despite the lingering effects of global economic challenges — due in part to major events taking place during the summer season,” an announcement by ForwardKeys notes.

Cities like Munich (+37 percent), which benefits from key sporting events this summer, are seeing significant growth. The pattern is balanced across European subregions, with substantial increases throughout the continent including Vienna (+23 percent), Edinburgh (+19 percent), Madrid (+16 percent) and Venice (+16 percent).

While medium-length stays continue to represent the largest share of intra-regional arrivals (63 percent), short trips of one to three nights show the highest growth over 2023 at 23 percent, accounting for 16 percent of all stays. Long trips — over two weeks — see more modest growth at 5 percent.

Events continue to drive up demand

The data shows that arrivals to Germany — hosts of the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament — show growth of 19 percent compared with the same period in 2023. Demand for travel during the Olympic Games in Paris is also higher than last year, with top-performing markets including China (+124 percent), Japan (+57 percent), Germany (+32 percent), and the USA (+25 percent).

Looking at destination cities for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour reveals a significant uplift in arrivals around the concert dates versus the summer period as a whole — including Stockholm (+136 percent vs +15 percent), Warsaw (+203 percent vs +31 percent) and London (+45 percent vs +12 percent).

Scene from TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR Concert Film.

“These granular shifts—closely tied to specific event dates—reveal the importance of major events in powering growth even amidst economic downturns, as demand remains high for ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences,” ForwardKeys says.

According to the travel intelligence provider, destinations with well-developed infrastructure, such as stadiums, concert halls, or festival venues, can benefit significantly.

In addition to urban city destinations and the impact of major events contributing to the optimistic forecast for Europe’s 2024 tourism season, ForwardKeys notes that growth is also driven by the rapid reactivation of Central and Eastern Europe, a resurgence of travel from the Asia Pacific region, and a significant influx of visitors from the United States.

“As the season unfolds, European destinations are well-positioned to capitalise on these trends,” says ForwardKeys.