Tourism industry

The tourism industry in figures

Europe is the world's leading tourism destination, welcoming millions of visitors each year. In 2024, the European Union attracted 758 million visitors, making it the destination chosen by 38% of all tourists worldwide and generating significant economic benefits.

That year, the tourism industry generated around 10% of the Union's GDP and accounted for 10% of jobs and 4.6 million businesses, 99% of which are small and medium-sized enterprises.

For this reason, tourism is a strategic industry for the EU which contributes to the Union's overall competitiveness.

Unbalanced tourism

However, the millions of visitors the EU welcomes each year are not distributed evenly among member states, or across their regions and cities. Four EU countries - Spain, France, Germany and Italy - together account for more than 60% of overnight stays.

The geographical and seasonal concentration of tourist flows presents a real challenge for the tourism industry, as this creates pressure on some destinations ('overtourism') and missed opportunities in others ('undertourism').

In addition, the rising number of tourists in some regions is placing a strain on infrastructure, housing and resources, which may lead to water stress, biodiversity loss and pollution.

These risks undermine tourism's long-term competitiveness, acceptance by local communities, and cultural heritage.

The tourism industry also faces a series of additional challenges.

Impacts of climate change

The tourism ecosystem is becoming increasingly exposed to climate change, including extreme weather events, thereby posing systemic risks to economic and social sustainability.

Labour shortages

The hospitality and tourism sectors are facing structural workforce shortages and skills gaps, limiting the sector's overall attractiveness.

Rapid technological developments

Artificial intelligence, as well as data collection and analysis, have the potential to empower both tourism destinations and travellers.

Geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty

Tourism is among the sectors that are most exposed to external shocks, which affect travellers' confidence and - in many cases - their mobility.

A more sustainable and competitive EU tourism sector

On 28 May 2026, the Council adopted conclusions on building a sustainable and competitive tourism sector for the future, focusing on seven areas:

local communities and social equity
connectivity and sustainable mobility
green transition and climate change
digital transformation, data and innovation
skills and quality employment
resilience, adaptive management and crisis preparedness
multi-level governance

The Council sets strategic guidelines for a sustainable and competitive tourism sector (press release, 28 May 2026)

Balanced tourism

The Council underlines the need to pay further attention, including through national and regional policies and the cohesion policy, to peripheral, rural, island, mountainous and remote destinations, with the aim of strengthening regional balance and unlocking their tourism potential.

Engaged local communities

The Council encourages member states to strengthen community involvement and social equity by, among other things:

ensuring the meaningful participation of residents, local businesses and tourist associations in the design and implementation of tourism strategies
promoting tourism models that spread the benefits fairly, respect local cultures and reduce unintended negative impacts for residents

Sustainable and multi-modal mobility

The Council stresses the importance of accessible, affordable, sustainable, multi-modal and cross-border transport solutions, including to lesser-known and outermost regions, and of reducing barriers to free movement.

This will help contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the transport sector and to ensuring seamless journeys for the benefit of both tourists and residents.

Accelerating the green transition

Accelerating mitigation and adaptation action, protecting biodiversity and restoring natural ecosystems are indispensable to safeguarding the attractiveness and competitiveness of tourist destinations.

To that end, the Council encourages, among other things:

more regenerative approaches to tourism that benefit both the natural environment and tourist destinations
resource-efficient, low-carbon and circular business models in the tourism industry
the management of tourist flows and the promotion of tourism products that are more resilient to the impact of climate change
consideration of infrastructure adaptation needs, coastal and maritime protection, and transport in areas that are highly exposed to climate change-related risks

A better use of digital tools and data

Data-driven destination management and innovative tourism practices are key to increasing the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the tourism industry.

The Council therefore supports the development of innovative travel-tech and -AI services and the use of data to anticipate, manage and plan tourism flows, as well as measure its economic, social and environmental impacts.

Upgraded skills and improved job quality

High-quality employment, appropriate working conditions and skills development are essential for the long-term competitiveness and resilience of the tourism sector.

In that context, the Council promotes the use of, among other things:

lifelong learning, upskilling and reskilling for tourism workers and jobseekers
instruments supporting skills and labour mobility in tourism
tools analysing and forecasting seasonal and geographical employment patterns
EU-wide matching services to address seasonal demand and gaps in employment

Strengthened crisis preparedness and response

As tourism is among the sectors most exposed to external shocks, the collective capacity to respond swiftly and effectively is essential for the sector’s continued development.

The Council therefore recommends:

the development of structured risk assessment and prevention, contingency planning and early warning systems and improvements to crisis communication
the use of real-time data and monitoring systems to manage tourist and day visitor flows, and the increased diversification of tourism products
support for destinations in terms of building resilience and social sustainability