This is the first time the European Commission has published its own estimates of tourism’s total economic impact. They cover direct effects, effects along supply chains and the spending of income earned in the sector. The direct share of tourism in gross value added has recovered from 3.6% in 2022, when the sector was still emerging from the COVID-19 crisis. The weight of tourism varies widely between countries: total impact is around 14% of gross value added in Italy and Spain, exceeds 20% in Portugal and Croatia, and is slightly below 5% in Belgium and Denmark.

The method uses official statistics only. It combines national Tourism Satellite Accounts with Eurostat input-output tables and data on nights spent at tourist accommodation, and applies the same approach to every country so that results are comparable. A peer-reviewed article by researchers from the JRC and the University of Bologna sets out the full methodology. The estimates informed the EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy and are available as a new indicator in the EU Tourism Dashboard. They give national authorities and destination management organisations a sound basis for proportionate measures and for allocating public resources.

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