European tourist arrivals recovering to pre covid levels

According to the report, in 2021 strong vaccination coverage in Europe, the EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate and the easing of travel restrictions which allowed the release of large-pent up demand, set the grounds for tourism revival. However, the emergence of the Omicron variant at the year-end weighed on this recovery and brought back mobility restrictions due to record-breaking infection rates. 

Year-to-date data informs estimates of a 62% decrease in tourist arrivals to Europe in 2021 over 2019 levels. The outlook, however, remains positive, with travel demand projected to be just 20% below pre-pandemic levels in 2022, fuelled by domestic and intra-European travel demand. 

Domestic travel is expected to exceed pre-pandemic peaks in 2022, while international travel will not do so until 2024. 

Latest data shows that reporting destinations continue to recover at varying rates, with 65% posting declines in tourist arrivals below the weighted average, which stands at -62%. Croatia (-37%), France (-39%) and Monaco (-40%) saw the softest declines based on data to December, owing to demand from large neighbouring source markets. 

Following a strong summer season which was later struck by the impact of the Omicron variant, Spain (-64%) hopes international visitors will recover over two-thirds of 2019 records in 20221 . Sizeable declines were registered in Finland (-80%) and central/Eastern destinations: the Czech Republic (-81%), Latvia (-78%), Estonia (-77%), Slovakia (-76%) and Lithuania (-74%).

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