The City Travel Report by CityDNA 2024–2025, based on benchmarking data from 128 cities, documents a notable slowdown in growth. Average bednight growth declined from 13.7% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024. Rather than a continued rebound, the data point to a recalibration of city tourism across Europe as destinations adapt to changing demand, capacity increases and wider economic and geopolitical pressures. “Growth is no longer the only metric. City destinations are now called upon to define success in terms of value, sustainability, and shared prosperity,” said Barbara Jamison-Woods, President of City Destinations Alliance.

European city tourism trends: bednight growth, capacity and sustainability

London, Paris and Istanbul remain the largest markets by total bednights. Among the top 20, Milan (+28.1%), Florence (+16.6%) and Vienna (+9.1%) posted the biggest gains. Overall, 107 of 128 cities saw growth.

Source markets were mixed. Russia, the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy recorded single-digit increases. The United States, Japan and China showed double-digit growth. National tourism grew faster than urban tourism, highlighting a performance gap. This gap underlines the need for closer coordination between city and national stakeholders.

Cities are shifting from short-term recovery measures to long-term strategies. These strategies emphasise resilience, sustainability and visitor value. The full CityDNA report offers detailed analysis and visualisations for destination managers.