Luxembourg emerged as the EU’s top tourism performer in 2024, recording a 22% rise in overnight stays compared to the previous year. Albania saw a growth of 15.2 %, North Macedonia an increase of foreign visitors of 13.8 % for the first 11 months. An 18 % growth is projected for world tourism.
Luxembourg experienced a standout year for tourism in 2024 with a 22 % growth, Malta (+13%) and Latvia (+7%) came in second and third, respectively according to a preliminary Eurostat report.
The Grand Duchy is underscoring its rising appeal to both international and domestic travelers. France and Belgium, two of Luxembourg’s neighboring countries, were less fortunate and saw modest decreases of -1 % each.
Across the European Union, tourism overall kept on bouncing back from the pandemic and surging to new heights, with a record-breaking 2.99 billion nights spent at accommodation establishments. 2024 tourism figures thus exceeded those of the previous year by 53.4 million, or 2 %.
Another country experiencing high growth was Albania. Prime Minister Edi Rama had announced that the country marked a 34 % increase of foreign visitors in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2023. For the full year, a 15.2 % increase of foreign visitors was reported.
In North Macedonia, the growth was 8.3 % in the first 11 months of the 2024 and 13.8 % for foreign visitors.
The global tourism industry has seen a strong recovery following the pandemic, with 18 % growth projected in 2024. UNWTO expects international tourism not only expected to recover pre-pandemic levels but also exceed it by 2 % in 2024. Bangkok, Istanbul and London should be the most visited cities in the world. Hotel bookings, travel, and tourism businesses are expected to reach new heights, and some suggest that it is a good time to start a travel agency business.
Find more information about Luxembourg and Macedonian tourism on our website.
Sources:
Belgian-Macedonian Business Club 
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