Ireland reported a 14.4% increase in tourism nights in the first half of 2026, compared to the same period a year earlier – more than any other EU country, according to new data from Eurostat.
Other countries to report a notable increase in tourism nights included Malta (+9.9%) and Slovakia (+5.9%), while nine countries recorded a decline year-on-year, led by Cyprus (-7.7%) and Romania (-6.7%).
Overnight stays
Overall, there were 1.321 billion overnight stays in tourist accommodation across the EU during the first half of 2026, an increase of 1.7% compared with the same period in 2025, Eurostat’s data showed.
In the first half of last year, some 1.299 billion overnight stays were recorded across the bloc.
The figures cover nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments, including hotels and similar accommodation, holiday and other short-stay accommodation, and camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks.
Stays by foreign visitors
Foreign visitors, including visitors from both EU and non-EU countries, accounted for almost half (48.9%) of all overnight stays across the EU during the first six months of the year.
The proportion of nights spent by foreign visitors varied significantly between countries. Malta recorded the highest share, with foreign visitors accounting for 95.2% of all overnight stays, followed by Cyprus (92.6%) and Luxembourg (87.7%).
However, foreign visitors accounted for less than a quarter of overnight stays in Germany, Poland and Romania. Germany recorded a share of 18.5%, followed by Poland at 19.8% and Romania at 23.0%.
Nights spent by foreign visitors increased by 2.5% compared with the first half of 2025, while nights spent by domestic visitors rose by 0.9%.
Eurostat added that its figures cover overnight stays in tourist accommodation establishments and exclude non-rented accommodation. Read more here.
Read more: Online holiday accommodation bookings rose by 13% in Germany last year
