EU tourism accommodation nights rise 1.7pc in 2026 H1

Milan : Tourist accommodations across the European Union recorded 1.321 billion overnight stays during the first six months of 2026, marking a 1.7 percent increase from the 1.299 billion nights recorded during the same period last year.

The latest figures show that international travelers remained an important driver of tourism growth. Overnight stays by visitors from outside their country of residence increased 2.5 percent year over year, significantly faster than the 0.9 percent growth recorded among domestic travelers.

Ireland posted the strongest increase in accommodation nights among EU member states, with stays rising 14.6 percent in the first half of the year. Malta followed with 9.9 percent, while Slovakia recorded growth of 5.9 percent.

Nine EU countries reported declines. Cyprus saw the steepest drop, with overnight stays falling 7.7 percent, followed by Romania at 6.7 percent

Foreign visitors accounted for 48.9 percent of all nights spent in EU tourist accommodations during the period, although their contribution varied considerably across markets.

Malta had the highest proportion of foreign stays at 95.2 percent, followed by Cyprus at 92.6 percent and Luxembourg at 87.7 percent.

At the other end, international guests represented less than one-quarter of accommodation nights in Germany, Poland and Romania, at 18.5 percent, 19.8 percent and 23 percent, respectively.