One in four Europeans travelled abroad in 2010

Duration of domestic trips – as would be expected – were of shorter duration than trips abroad with stays of between one and three nights and four or more nights respectively. 

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.

These figures were reported by the statistical office for the European Union, Eurostat, on World Tourism Day – 27 September, 2011.

The highest shares of domestic trips as opposed to trips abroad 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%).

Only five Member States measured half or more of all holiday trips in 2010 as outbound: 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%).