A report commissioned by Accor projects Europe’s tourist accommodation demand will expand 32% from 2026 to 2036, as international accommodation nights rise faster than domestic nights.
Tourism Economics prepared the forecasts in June 2026, covering 47 European countries. The projections put annual overnight stays in 2036 more than 1.6 billion above the 2026 level. The 32% increase is a forecast, not a count of trips already taken.
International accommodation nights are projected to grow 42% over the decade, compared with 24% for domestic accommodation nights. In 2036, visitors from elsewhere in Europe are expected to represent 77% of international arrivals, the report says. Nights track accommodation use, while arrivals describe visitor flows.
Growth in international accommodation nights is projected at 116% in Azerbaijan, 83% in Latvia and 82% in Romania. The report also forecasts arrivals from China will increase 138% over the decade, with arrivals from the Middle East rising 93% and those from Asia-Pacific 88%.
Accor’s report forecasts international visitor spending in Europe will climb 64%, from €825 billion in 2026 to more than €1.3 trillion in 2036. It points to rising global prosperity, easier movement, better connections and continued investment in tourism infrastructure as factors behind the expected growth. The report identifies possible opportunities for economy hotels, investors, developers and hotel owners.
Recent figures offer a separate snapshot of travel activity. UN Tourism estimated that Europe received 793 million international tourists in 2025, up 4% from 2024 and 6% from 2019. Eurostat counted 3.1 billion nights in tourist accommodation across the European Union that year, a 4.1% annual increase. That total includes domestic and international visitors and covers EU countries; Accor’s forecast covers 47 European countries.
