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Eurostat figures released on September 1 show the first half of 2026 produced the highest number of overnight stays ever recorded for that period in the bloc. The total of 1.321 billion marked an increase of 22 million nights compared with the first six months of 2025. Italy, Spain and France together contributed more than half the net gain, according to the EU statistical office.
According to Eurostat data, 18 EU member states registered year-on-year increases while nine recorded declines. Ireland led with a 14.6 percent rise, followed by Malta at 9.9 percent and Slovakia at 5.9 percent. Cyprus posted the steepest drop at 7.7 percent, with Romania close behind at 6.7 percent.
Eurostat statistics place foreign visitors at 48.9 percent of all overnight stays across the EU in the period. Malta depended most heavily on international guests with a 95.2 percent share, while Cyprus stood at 92.6 percent and Luxembourg at 87.7 percent. Domestic tourism dominated in Germany where foreign nights accounted for only 18.5 percent, the agency reported.
The statistical office noted that foreign overnight stays grew 2.5 percent year on year, almost three times the 0.9 percent increase registered for domestic visitors. Nights spent by non-residents reached 645.4 million while domestic stays totalled 675.7 million. This pattern underscored the sector’s reliance on cross-border travel for expansion, Eurostat data indicated.
Eurostat reported that Italy added 6.7 million nights to reach 219.5 million, Spain gained 3.4 million to total 222.8 million and France rose by 2.6 million to 193 million. In the second quarter alone, one in three EU nights occurred in either Italy or Spain. The agency highlighted these three countries as the largest contributors to the overall EU total.
Further Eurostat breakdowns show the first-half performance exceeded all previous equivalents since data collection began. Bulgaria, one of the countries with a decline, recorded a 1.7 percent drop to roughly 9.7 million nights. The dataset, drawn from national accommodation registries, provides a comprehensive snapshot of short-term tourism trends across the 27 member states.
