European Tourism Day 2011 Nearly one out of four holiday trips was made abroad in 2010 Half of all holiday trips were short domestic trips

STAT/11/139

27 September 2011

European Tourism Day 2011
Nearly one out of four holiday trips was made abroad in 2010
Half of all holiday trips were short domestic trips

In 2010, EU27 residents made 1.0 billion holiday trips, of which more than three-quarters were domestic trips, within the country of residence, and around one quarter were outbound trips outside the country of residence. Considering the duration of these trips, as would be expected domestic holiday trips are mainly of short duration, lasting 1 to 3 nights, and outbound trips are more often long trips of 4 nights and more.

In total, half of all holiday trips made by EU27 residents in 2010 were short domestic trips, while long domestic trips accounted for around one quarter. Almost one fifth of all holiday trips were long trips abroad, and 5% short trips abroad.

On the occasion of the European Tourism Day1 on 27 September 2011, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, issues information on domestic and outbound holiday trips2 made by EU residents in 2010.

Highest share of long domestic holiday trips in Greece and France

The highest shares of domestic trips in 2010 were found in Romania (94% of all holiday trips), Spain (92%), Bulgaria and Greece (both 91%). In all Member States there was a higher share of short domestic trips than long trips, except for Greece.

The highest proportions of short domestic trips were made by residents of Latvia (73%), Finland (70%), Denmark (67%), Spain (65%), Bulgaria and Portugal (both 64%), while the highest shares of long domestic trips were recorded in Greece (47%), France (39%), Italy and Poland (both 35%) and Romania (34%).

Share of long outbound holiday trips ranged from 5% in Romania to 62% in Luxembourg

In only five Member States were half or more of all holiday trips in 2010 outbound trips: Luxembourg (nearly 100% of all holiday trips), Belgium (76%), Slovenia (56%), the Netherlands (53%) and Austria (50%). In all Member States there was a higher share of long outbound trips than short trips, except for Finland.

The highest proportions of short outbound trips in 2010 were recorded in Luxembourg (38%), Slovenia (26%) and Belgium (22%), and of long outbound trips in Luxembourg (62%), Belgium (54%), the Netherlands (43%) and Cyprus (42%).

Holiday trips of EU residents aged 15 and over by duration and destination, 2010

: Data not available

u Unreliable due to small sample size

- less than 0.5%

* EU27 excluding Malta and including 2009 data for Ireland and Italy

** 2009 data

• More information on the European Tourism Day 2011 can be found under:
  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/promoting-eu-tourism/european-tourism-day/2011/index_en.htm

• Eurostat, Statistic in Focus, 49/2011 "Domestic tourism - Europeans spend 77% of their holiday trips in their own country". Available free of charge in PDF format on the Eurostat website.

Eurostat news releases on the internet: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat