Demand for tourist accommodation in Europe is predicted to grow by a third in the next 10 years, with intra-continental visitation also set to rise, according to research published by Accor.
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In its new report, “The Changing Face of Europe's Tourism Map to 2036”, the hospitality group says that Europe will “remain the powerhouse of the global travel industry over the next decade”.
Based on data commissioned from Tourism Economics, the report found that accommodation nights will increase by 32% between 2026 and 2036, adding 1.6 billion overnight stays annually. Hotel accommodation is expected to grow even faster at 33%, the report added.
In 2025, Europe welcomed 810 million international visitors, more than any other region in the world. It attracted 53% of all international tourists globally and generated more than €700 billion in international tourism receipts.
“Beneath this growth lies a web of factors from changing travel flows, infrastructure investment, the emergence of new destinations and growing international mobility,” Accor said.
“Europe’s strength as a tourism destination is in its diversity. Few regions can offer such a diverse tourism proposition within a relatively compact geography.
“From global gateway cities to beach destinations, ski resorts, cultural destinations, national parks, heritage tourism, food tourism or festivals, its enduring interest lies in its infinitely varied mosaic of landscapes, languages and cultures.”
Major growth in emerging tourism hotspots
Accor also foresees that nights spent across all tourist accommodation types by international travellers will rise by 42% in the next 10 years. This is compared to a slower rate of 24% among domestic holidaymakers.
New arrivals, however, will be dominated by travellers from within Europe itself. According to the data, 77% of arrivals will be made of intra-continental visitors. Germany is set to become the strongest source market, predicted to represent 14% of arrivals, followed by British and French travellers at 8% and 5% respectively. Rounding out the top five are US (5%) and Dutch (4%) travellers.
Looking at individual destinations, Germany is set to become the largest source market for both France and Poland by 2036. Elsewhere, the Netherlands is expected to lead among source markets for Germany, British travellers will make up the largest source market for Spain, and American travellers for the UK.
Growth is also on the horizon for the continent’s emerging tourism hotspots. While countries like France, the UK and Germany are expected to remain highly sought after, international accommodation nights in Azerbaijan are set to increase by 116% over the next 10 years. While in Latvia, this growth is forecasted at 83% and 82% in Romania.
International market growth
Further afield, demand from international source markets will show no signs of slowing down either. Arrivals from the Middle East and Asia are set to skyrocket at 93% and 88% respectively over the next decade. Specifically, Saudi visitors to Europe will grow by 55%, while arrivals from China will rise by a staggering 138%.
Meanwhile, arrivals from Africa will increase by 46%, while South and North American arrivals will grow by 42% and 26%, respectively.