In 2017, EU residents made 1.3 billion trips with overnight stays that amounted to almost 6.4 billion nights, according to Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

The average trip length was 5.1 nights. Compared with 2016, the number of tourism trips by EU residents increased by 4%. Three quarters (73%) of all trips were spent within the country of residence (domestic trips), while one quarter (27%) were abroad (outbound trips), of which 21% to other EU countries and 6% to destinations outside the EU.

The most common means of transport for trips was private or rented motor vehicles (predominantly cars) (64%), followed by airplanes (17%), trains (11%), buses (6%) and water vessels (2%). Airplanes served as the main means of transport for over half of outbound trips (56%), while for domestic trips EU residents travelled mainly by motor vehicles (76%), followed by rail (13%).

Most of the travel by air was for personal reasons (82%), while the remaining 18% of air trips were for professional purposes.

Cyprus residents made in 2017 2,799 million trips (for business and holiday), 49.8% domestic and 50.2% outbound with an average duration of 6.4 nights. Out of these trips 49.8% were by land 49.4% by air and 0.8% by water.

In the EU, almost half of all trips (49%) were for holidays and leisure, 35% for visits to relatives and friends, 12% for business and 4% for other reasons. Over half of all 6.4 billion overnight stays during tourism trips of EU residents in 2017 were spent in rented accommodation (55%).

Hotels or similar accommodation providing services such as daily cleaning and bed-making came on top with 32%, while 6% were spent at campsites and the remaining 17% in other types of rented accommodation (e.g. rented holiday dwelling, apartment, youth hostel, mountain hut).

Motor vehicles (private or rented cars) were the main means of transport for more two-thirds of all trips made in twelve countries, with the highest share for the residents of Slovenia (85% of trips), Portugal (80%), Czechia (79%), Spain and Bulgaria (both 77%). Cars were used for less than half of all trips in Luxembourg and Cyprus (both 48%) and Ireland (49%).

Airplanes were the main means of travel for tourists from Malta (63%), far ahead of Cyprus (49%), Ireland (43%) and Luxembourg (42%), while in six countries – Romania (3%), Bulgaria (5%), Czechia (6%), Croatia and Slovenia (both 8%) the shares for air transport were less than 10%. The highest use of trains for tourism trips was observed in France (15%) and Germany (14%).

At the other end of the scale were Greece and Slovenia (both 1%), Bulgaria and Croatia (both 2%).

Waterways were the main means of transport for 37% of trips made by residents of Malta and 17% of trips by residents of Greece, while in Romania and Croatia (both 19%), Bulgaria (16%) and Estonia (15%) residents took buses for 15% and more of their trips.

The highest shares of trips of EU residents within their country (domestic trips) were observed in Romania (94%), Spain (91%), Portugal (89%), Greece (88%), France (87%) and Bulgaria (86%).

On the other hand, the largest proportions of trips abroad (outbound trips) were registered for residents of Luxembourg (98%), Belgium (80%), Malta (68%) and Slovenia (62%).

The average length of stay during a trip varied from ten nights for residents of Greece (9.9 nights), followed by residents of Luxembourg (7.1), Belgium and the Netherlands (both 6.5), to less than four nights for residents of Latvia and Estonia (both 3.3), Finland (3.4), Hungary (3.6), Denmark (3.8) and Romania (3.9).