Tourist accommodation across the European Union recorded 1.321 billion overnight stays in the first half of 2026, up 1.7% from the same period last year, according to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office.
Growth varied significantly across member states. Ireland
posted the strongest increase, with overnight stays rising 14.6%, followed by
Malta at 9.9% and Slovakia at 5.9%.
Nine EU countries recorded declines, led by Cyprus (-7.7%)
and Romania (-6.7%).
Foreign visitors accounted for 48.9% of all overnight stays
across the EU during the first six months of the year, although their
contribution differed sharply between countries.
Foreign tourists represented the largest share in Malta
(95.2%), followed by Cyprus (92.6%) and Luxembourg (87.7%).
At the other end of the scale, foreign visitors accounted
for less than one-quarter of overnight stays in Germany (18.5%), Poland (19.8%)
and Romania (23.0%), highlighting differences in the reliance of national
tourism sectors on international visitors.
Overall, foreign visitor nights increased 2.5% year-on-year,
significantly outpacing the 0.9% growth recorded in domestic overnight stays.
The figures indicate that international tourism remained the
main driver of growth in EU accommodation demand during the first half of 2026. -TTN