Europe’s Summer Winners Weren’t Spain, France or Italy

International arrivals in Europe rose 3 percent this summer compared with last year, and four in five reporting destinations saw growth, according to the European Travel Commission’s third-quarter report released November 5. The standouts were smaller markets: Malta rose 18 percent, Slovakia 15 percent, Ireland 13 percent, Poland 11 percent, and Romania and Montenegro 10 percent each.

The big three grew far more slowly. Spain rose 5 percent, France 3 percent and Italy 1 percent. Cyprus fell 7 percent, which the commission linked to Middle East-related flight disruption and a drone incident that raised safety concerns. Hungary’s tourist spending jumped 20.1 percent on only a 2.5 percent rise in arrivals, partly because of a stronger forint.

The report arrived a day after the European Commission presented a Sustainable Tourism Strategy aimed at spreading visitors through the year. It proposes an EU Tourism Academy, a tourism observatory, a shared tourism data space, a toolbox for balanced tourism and a crisis coordination network. The commission says tourism supports more than 20 million jobs, though the strategy’s effects depend on how it is carried out.

The outlook includes caution. Half of surveyed tourism professionals named rising costs as their main worry, and the commission expects travelers to be more price-sensitive and to book closer to departure. For visitors, the numbers suggest lesser-known destinations are gaining ground, and the gap between peak summer and the rest of the year is projected to narrow slowly through 2027.

Sources: Travel PR News