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Food and beverage industry leads EU tourism employment in 2021

Data

05 November 2024

Food and beverage industry leads EU tourism employment in 2021

Adventure tourism

Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism

Cultural tourism

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The EU tourism sector employed 11.3 million people in 2021, with the majority in the food and beverage industry, highlighting its significant role in job creation across Europe.

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Eurostat

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Geographical descriptors

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

EU-27

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Organisation Type

Academic / Research and VET Institutions

Company with 250 or more employees

Consumer Organisations

Cultural and Heritage Organisations

Destination Management & Marketing Organisations

EU Institutions

Financial Institutions and Investors

Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

International Organisations

Local Authorities

Media / Journalist Organisations

National authorities

Networks and Federations / Confederations

NGOs / Non-profits

Regional Authorities

SMEs (a company with less than 250 employees)

Trade Unions

  • Specific types of tourism

    • Adventure tourism

    • Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism

    • Cultural tourism

    • Ecotourism

    • Education tourism

    • Festival tourism

    • Gastronomy tourism

    • Health and medical tourism

    • MICE tourism

    • Mountain tourism

    • Religious tourism

    • Rural tourism

    • Sports tourism

    • Urban/city tourism

    • Wellness tourism

  • Transition Pathway Strategic Areas

    • Coordinated information on travelling

    • Improving statistics and indicators

    • Innovative tourism services

  • Business activities

    • Air passenger transport

    • Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks

    • Holiday Housing / Apartments and other short stay accommodation

    • Hotel and similar accommodation

    • Mobile beverage services

    • Mobile food services

    • Other accommodation

    • Other food and beverage services

    • Other holiday reservation services

    • Rail Passenger transport

    • Restaurants, cafes and bars (Food and Beverage serving activities)

    • Road passenger transport

    • Tour operator activities

    • Travel agency activities

    • Water (sea, coastal and inland) passenger transport

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According to Eurostat, the EU tourism sector employed 11.3 million people in 2021. The majority were in the food and beverage industry (6.8 million), followed by accommodation (2.1 million), transport (1.8 million), and travel agencies (0.4 million). This data highlights the significant role of tourism-related activities in creating jobs across Europe. For a more in-depth analysis, refer to the article published by Eurostat on 29 May 2024, which includes links to datasets accessible via the link on the left side of the platform.

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  • 01 Oct 2025

2023 - Country Reports

What can I find here? The folders contain country reports from: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Latvia Lithuania...
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2022 - Country Reports

What can I find here? The folders contain country reports from: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia...
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  • 3

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  • 30 Sep 2025

2020 - Country Reports

What can I find here? The folders contain country reports from: Austria Croatia Czechia Finland Germany Greece Hungary Lithuania Netherlands Poland Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden
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Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism Cultural tourism Ecotourism +64 more
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