Tourism in the European Union collapsed last year

Tourism in the European Union (EU) fell sharply last year, marked by the corona crisis. The reason was travel restrictions as well as other anti-epidemic measures. The number of overnight stays in tourist accommodation establishments in the EU fell by 52% year-on-year to 1.4 billion in 2020, according to the European statistical office Eurostat in its first estimate. The number of overnight stays fell most sharply in Malta, Cyprus and Greece, where it fell by more than 70%. The corona crisis affected the Netherlands and Denmark the least, with a decline of less than 35% in these countries. The number of overnight stays per non-residents of the country decreased by 68% and the number of overnight stays per domestic visitor by 38%. In Slovenia (+ 33%) and Malta and Cyprus, they even saw an increase in the number of overnight stays of residents compared to 2019. By contrast, Spain, Greece and Romania saw the sharpest decline of more than 40%. The number of overnight stays by foreign tourists decreased in all EU countries, most notably Cyprus, Romania and Spain (around -80%).