Travel in Western Europe

December 2024

All the main parameters in the travel industry had returned to their pre-pandemic levels by the end of the 2019-2024 period, representing a full recovery from the damage wrought by the COVID-19 restrictions. Indeed, overtourism is a theme that has now begun rearing its head again, as government agencies and travel industry players look to reduce seasonality in overcrowded destinations like Venice to try and spread demand more evenly across the whole year.

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Key findings

Record inbound visitor numbers to the UK

While inbound flows completed their post-pandemic recovery to reach record numbers in the UK in 2024, there are some potential limiters to growth on the horizon. This includes the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme that is due to implemented by the UK, potentially in 2025.

Polarisation in Germany’s travel industry

The economic downturn has resulted in increasing polarisation in German travel. While luxury travel remains strong, price-conscious consumers are becoming value hackers by travelling off-season and to less-visited destinations, avoiding crowds and speculative prices.

Events boost visitor numbers in France

The travel industry performance in France in 2024 was boosted by major events such as the 80th Anniversary of the Normandy landings or the Olympics/Paralympics. Physical spectators in Paris and other Olympic cities were projected to reach 15 million during the games.

Overtourism an increasing concern in the most popular destinations

Countries are likely to be looking to reduce the seasonality of tourism, especially in cities such as Venice. To cope with overtourism, over the forecast period it is expected that the offer in a number of Italian destinations will be increasingly adjusted to attract domestic and international tourist flows throughout the entire year.

Scope
Key findings
Western Europe has the second biggest market among the regions
Booking sales return to pre-pandemic levels in real value terms in 2024
All categories have returned to their pre-pandemic sales levels
Strong booking rebounds in France, Germany and the UK post-pandemic
Increasing visitor numbers and rising prices boost airlines sales in Turkey
All the main categories growing over 2019-2024 as a whole
Sustainability increasingly to the fore in the European travel industry
Olympics boosts the French travel industry performance in 2024
AccorHotels continues to lead the hotels category in Western Europe
Airbnb remains the leading brand in lodging at a regional level
National flag carriers fill the top four spots in travel modes
Strong value sales growth in Turkey propels Turkish Airlines to the top of the rankings
Booking Holdings continues to lead travel intermediaries in 2024
Increasing melding of operations by players in booking
Positive, but slowing, growth expected over the 2024-2029 period
Greater regulation of short-term rentals possible in the UK
Destination countries reacting to overtourism
Austria: Market Context
Austria: Competitive Landscape
Belgium: Market Context
Belgium: Competitive Landscape
Denmark: Market Context
Denmark: Competitive Landscape
Finland: Market Context
Finland: Competitive Landscape
France: Market Context
France: Competitive Landscape
Germany: Market Context
Germany: Competitive Landscape
Greece: Market Context
Greece: Competitive Landscape
Ireland: Market Context
Ireland: Competitive Landscape
Italy: Market Context
Italy: Competitive Landscape
Netherlands: Market Context
Netherlands: Competitive Landscape
Norway: Market Context
Norway: Competitive Landscape
Portugal: Market Context
Portugal: Competitive Landscape
Spain: Market Context
Spain: Competitive Landscape
Sweden: Market Context
Sweden: Competitive Landscape
Switzerland: Market Context
Switzerland: Competitive Landscape
Turkey: Market Context
Turkey: Competitive Landscape
UK: Market Context
UK: Competitive Landscape

Travel

Travel encompasses several categories including tourism flows, lodging, travel modes, in-destination spending and booking.

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