2024 Summer Travel Surge Fuels Record Tourism in Europe

There is a robust recovery in travel enthusiasm across Europe with demand fully rebounding to pre-pandemic levels according to a report by travel intelligence firm ForwardKeys.

One of the key draws to Europe this summer is the Paris Olympics, but other major cities throughout the continent are emerging as hot destinations to travel. It isn’t only major cities in Europe like Paris, London and Madrid that are seeing an influx of demand, all 44 European countries are seeing higher demand.  

Along with major events like the Paris Olympics, enhanced connectivity and transport links has facilitated easier travel within Europe. There is also a shift for travelers to visit nature and urban destinations over traditional sun and beach spots, making other previously less-traveled locations more of a priority. 

The main draw this summer is the Paris Olympics which takes place from Fri, Jul 26, 2024 – Sun, Aug 11, 2024. The excitement around this event has led to a significant uptick in flight searches and bookings. 

Other destinations which have experienced growth in popularity include London, Istanbul, Rome and Milan, as well as Tirana, Yerevan and Tbilisi. Conversely, Spain, Greece and Portugal are experiencing a decline after a post-COVID surge in demand.

The shift towards nature and urban destinations has grown more than traditional sun and beach destinations in Europe. Nature travel has increased by 19%, urban travel up 14% while sun and beach locations only at 8%.

Along with inbound travel to Europe, outbound travel is also on the rise both intra-European as well as long-haul trips. There is a 14% growth for intra-European travel while upwards of 132% interest to places like Beijing and 66% to Osaka.

With demand fully returning to pre-pandemic levels, European travel is on the rise with no end in sight. The continent is attracting tourists from around the globe who want to visit the historic sites along with lesser-known travel destinations in more remote locations.