The outlook for travel to Europe this year is promising despite global pressures such as high inflation, the war in Ukraine and consequent energy crisis, and prospects of a looming economic recession, says the European Travel Commission (ETC).

The latest data from the ETC’s just-released fourth quarter “European Tourism – Trends and Prospects” report and its latest Long-Haul Travel Barometer indicates a recovery of 75% of 2019 travel volumes to Europe in 2022 with the strong tourism rebound is expected to continue well into 2023, though at a slower pace.

Canada

The report suggests that the Canadian travel sentiment for 2023 is positive and that the market continue on track for a gradual recovery. The share of Canadians planning to visit Europe between January and April increased from 15% in 2022 to 29% in 2023, with the sentiment index value remaining in positive territory (108 points).

Yet, says the report, a majority (62%) of Canadian respondents will refrain from overseas trips at the beginning of 2023 with the main deterrent for 39% of them being their disposable budget.

The top European destinations for Canadians are France, Italy, the UK, and Germany, with most travellers keen to have experiences revolving around history and culture, and the vibrant life of European cities.

Overall, Canada is expected post arrivals 28% below 2019 levels in 2023. Türkiye was the only reporting destination country registering an increase in arrivals from Canada in 2022 (up 42% on 2019 levels). This is likely to have been driven by the depreciation of the Turkish lira. On the other hand, Serbia leads in the recovery of overnights (up 33%) from Canadians in Europe.

“2022 was a positive year for many European destinations, and we welcome the continuation of this strong rate of recovery from Canada,” says ETC Canada Chapter Chair Sandra Moffatt (Tourism Ireland), “Despite ongoing economic headwinds, sentiment remains very positive with 70% of Canadians intending to take a long-haul trip this year…”

European destinations

The ETC’s year-to-date data, compared to 2019, shows that almost one in two reporting European destinations have recovered more than 80% of their pre-pandemic foreign arrivals. Overall, southern Mediterranean destinations posted the fastest recovery as the year ended. High prices spurred the attractiveness of more affordable destinations, with holidaymakers flocking to Türkiye (-2%) to benefit from a weaker lira. Luxembourg (-4%), Serbia (-6%), Greece (-6%), and Portugal (-7%) are also approaching 2019 levels.

Looking forward, international travel to Europe is forecast to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2025, while domestic travel will fully recover in 2024.