Tourism statistics – EU and China

Asia is the second most visited destination outside Europe for EU residents

Europe — and very often a tourist’s own country of residence — remained the most attractive destination for most trips made by Europeans. It accounted for 86.0 % of the total number of trips made in 2016 (see Figure 1). The top continent visited outside Europe was America with 5.7 % of total trips, followed by Asia with 4.9 %.

Figure 2 takes a closer look at trips made outside the EU. Trips to other destinations in Europe — such as Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, Russia and all other non-EU European countries — made up the largest share (38 %). Nonetheless Asia accounted for more than one in five trips outside the EU (22 %). When measured in terms of nights spent and expenditure, Asia’s share of all non-EU tourism increases to 29 % and 28 % respectively. EU residents made 15.2 million trips to Asia — representing a total of 263.5 million nights — and spent EUR 25.5 billion on those trips. A part of the EUR 25.5 billion spent stayed within the EU economy, for instance for intercontinental flights operated by European airlines or commission fees charged by European travel agencies.

China is the 8^th most popular non-EU destination for EU residents

China is becoming a popular travel destination for Europeans. In 2016, China ranked number 8 among non-EU destinations (see Figure 3 and Table 1). The United States was the most popular non-EU destination, followed by countries neighbouring the EU (Turkey, Switzerland, Norway and Russia).

Figure 3: Top-10 non-EU destinations for tourism trips of EU residents, EU-28, 2016 (%)
Source: Eurostat (tour_dem_ttw)

Two Asian countries — Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (each of them representing just above 3.0% of EU residents’ trips to non-EU destinations) — were still slightly ahead of China (3.0 %) in 2016. EU residents made 2.1 million trips to China in 2016, and stayed on average 15.6 nights. Total spending on trips with China as main destination was EUR 5.1 billion (China climbed to third place in expenditure terms — see Table 1).

In the five year period 2012—2016, the number of trips by EU residents to China increased by 16 % (data based on 20 countries, which account for 76 % of the trips made by EU residents).

Tourism from China to the EU has tripled in ten years

The number of nights spent in the EU by tourists from China has more than tripled over the last ten years, reaching nearly 25 million nights in 2016. Tourism from China has risen more than that from other major non-EU countries such as the United States, Russia or Brazil (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: Growth of tourism nights spent in EU tourist accommodation, 2016 compared with 2006 – Selected origin countries (%)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninraw)

Figure 5 shows that the overwhelming majority of foreigners staying in tourist accommodation establishments in EU countries came from other EU countries (72 %) or other European countries (9 %). Of non- European tourists, those from Asia accounted for the biggest share of nights spent (8 %).

Figure 5: Nights spent by non-residents in tourist accommodation establishments by world region of the guest, EU-28, 2016 (%)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninraw)

1.7 % of all nights spent in EU-28 countries by non-residents was by tourists from China; for Finland the share was nearly 5 % (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: Nights spent by Chinese tourists of the total nights spent by non-residents, 2016 (%)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninraw)

The share of Chinese tourists out of the total nights spent by tourists coming from outside the EU was almost 6 % (see Figure 7). Luxembourg was very popular among Chinese tourists; 1 in 8 nights spent by non-EU tourists in Luxembourg, was spent by a Chinese tourist.

Figure 7: Nights spent by Chinese tourists of the total nights spent by guests from outside the EU, 2016 (%)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninraw)

Tourists from China mainly stayed in just four EU countries: more than 7 out of 10 overnight stays by tourists from China to the EU were in the United Kingdom (31 %), Italy (18 %), France (13 %) and Germany (10 %) (see Figure 8).

Figure 8: Tourism nights spent by residents of China in EU-28, 2016 (%)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninraw)

The EU is a net exporter of travel services to China

In 2016, the EU exported travel services valued at nearly EUR 7 billion ^[1]. In the same year, the EU imported nearly EUR 3 billion from China (i.e. Europeans’ spending on trips in China). Europe was a net exporter of travel services with a positive balance of EUR 4 billion.

Until 2008 (see Figure 9) the travel item showed a negative balance in the EU’s balance of payments with China, with debits exceeding credits.

Figure 9: EU-28 balance of payments with China, travel item, 2004-2016 (mio euro)
Source: Eurostat (bop_eu6_q)

The growth rates of the monetary flows (credits and debits) were in line with the underlying physical flows of Chinese tourists staying in European accommodation and EU tourists making trips to China respectively (see above).