European Neighbourhood Policy - South - tourism statistics

Data extracted in March 2023.

Highlights

The highest number of bed places in reporting European Neighbourhood Policy-South countries was 316 thousand for Egypt in 2019.

Non-resident arrivals in hotels and similar accommodation establishments continued declining between 2020 and 2021 in Israel (-66 %) and in Morocco (-19 %), while they increased in Palestine (+32 %) and Tunisia (+21 %).

Between 2020 and 2021, all the ENP-South countries, for which data is available, showed a substantial growth in departures of residents going abroad for holidays and business, although none of them reached the level of 2019.

Arrivals of non-residents in hotels and similar establishments, 2011, 2019, 2020 and 2021

Note: Jordan and Lebanon not available. Countries are ranked based 2019 data.
(¹) 2020: estimates.
(²) 2011: provisional.
(³) 2011 and 2021: provisional.
(⁴) Refers to visitors staying in hotels and using their facilities. This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue. 2019-2021: West Bank only.
(⁵) 2020-2021: not available.
(⁶) 2019-2021: not available. Egypt’s position in the figure doesn’t indicate anything about its 2019 value.
Source: Eurostat (online data codes: tour_occ_arnat, demo_pjan, enps_tour_occ_arnat and enps_demo_pjangr)

This article is part of an online publication and presents information relating to tourism in the European Union (EU) and eight of the ten countries that form the European Neighbourhood Policy-South (ENP-South) region — Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine ^[1] and Tunisia; no recent data are available for Libya or Syria. It highlights recent developments over the period 2011-2021, with information on capacity (the number of bed places) and international demand (the number of arrivals of non-residents at hotels and similar accommodation) for inbound tourism, as well as information on the number of outbound trips made by tourists.

Full article

Tourism infrastructure

The number of bed places available in hotels and similar accommodation establishments as presented in Table 1 provides a measure of a country’s capacity to attract tourists; note that official tourism statistics include business travellers as tourists alongside individuals travelling for pleasure or other reasons.

Table 1: Bed places in hotels and similar accommodation establishments, 2011-2021
(thousands)
Source: Eurostat (tour_cap_nat) and (enps_tour_cap_nat)

Among the ENP-South countries for which data are available, Egypt reported the highest number of bed places in hotels and similar accommodation establishments with 316 thousand in 2019 (more recent data not available), resulting in an average annual growth rate of 2.8 % since 2011. In 2021, Morocco recorded 282 thousand bed places in hotels and similar accommodation establishments, a 4.4 % annual average growth over the decade. Tunisia accounted for 230 thousand bed places in 2021. In Israel there were 144 thousand bed places in 2021, corresponding to average annual growth rates of 2.7 %, over the decade. In 2020 (2021 data not available) Algeria accounted for 128 thousand bed places, resulting in an average annual growth rate of 3.2 % since 2011. The lowest levels of capacity were recorded for Jordan with 30 thousand (note the data refer to numbers of rooms) in 2020 (2021 data not available) and Palestine, with 8 thousand in 2021. When comparing to 2011, Jordan reported an annual average growth of 2.4 %. Additionally, Tunisia and Palestine were the only countries to report an average annual decline from 2011 to 2021 (down 0.5 % and 3.4 %, respectively). Both, and in particular Palestine, saw significant reduction in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Palestine recorded a decrease of 59 % between 2019 and 2020, while Tunisia recorded a 2 % decrease over the same period. There is no data available for Lebanon. With its total of 12.1 million bed places in 2021, the number of bed places in the EU grew annually by 0.6 % on average since 2011. Nevertheless, in 2020 it recorded a decrease of 4 % as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 1 presents another measure for analysing the number of bed places in hotels and similar establishments, providing information in relation to the size of the national population. Out of the seven ENP-South countries illustrated, Tunisia reported the highest number of bed places per thousand inhabitants both in 2011 and 2021; note that the 2011 value also includes bed places in specialised establishments and campsites. Tunisia reported a decrease to 19.5 bed places per thousand inhabitants in 2021 from 22.7 in 2011. Israel’s number of bed places was rather constant over the period, with 15.5 bed places per thousand inhabitants in 2021 and 14.4 in 2011; these numbers also include bed places in temporarily closed hotels. Morocco displayed the highest increase in bed places over the period, reaching 7.8 bed places per thousand inhabitants in 2021, from 5.6 in 2011. Egypt’s data are not available neither for 2021 nor for 2020, but in 2019 as well as in 2011, it had 3.2 bed places per thousand inhabitants. An increase in bed places was also recorded in Algeria, where the country had 2.6 bed places per thousand inhabitants in 2011 and it grew to 2.9 in 2020 (2021 not available). In Jordan the number of bed places per inhabitants decreased between 2011 and 2020 (no 2021 data), from 3.6 to 2.8; the 2011 figures for Jordan are based on the number of rooms. Palestine was another ENP-South country which showed a decline over the period in the number of bed places, from 2.9 bed places in 2011 to 1.6 bed places in 2021; data for Palestine refer to beds and rooms which are ready for use. There is no data available for Lebanon.

The EU recorded a higher capacity of bed places in 2021 than any of the ENP-South countries with 27.1 bed places in hotels and similar accommodation establishments per thousand inhabitants.

Figure 1: Bed places in hotels and similar accommodation establishments, 2011, 2020 and 2021
(number of bed places per thousand inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (tour_cap_nat), (demo_pjan), (enps_tour_cap_nat) and (enps_demo_pjangr)

Non-resident arrivals

Figure 2 presents the number of arrivals of non-residents in hotels and similar accommodation establishments across the ENP-South countries and the EU, according to their respective population sizes and according to data availability. Recent data for Jordan and Lebanon is not available. The largest number of arrivals of non-residents in hotels and similar establishments in 2021 was recorded by Tunisia, with 66 non-residents per thousand inhabitants. Israel had the second largest number of arrivals among the ENP-South countries, 30 non-residents per thousand inhabitants, while Morocco and Palestine both recorded 24 non-residents arrivals per thousand inhabitants. Data for 2021 was not available in Algeria but in 2019, it had 18 non-residents arrivals. Data for 2019, 2020 and 2021 in Egypt were not available.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic it has to be noted that for the years 2020 and 2021 there was a global impact on tourism. All the ENP-South countries, where recent data is available, recorded substantial declines in non-residents arrivals between 2019 and 2020. Between 2020 and 2021, arrivals of non-residents in hotels and similar establishments continued to decline in Israel and Morocco, by 66.5 % and by 19.8 %, respectively. In contrast the other two countries for which 2021 data are available showed a large growth. Arrivals of non-residents in hotels and similar establishments increased by 29.1 % in Palestine and by 20.6 % in Tunisia. The 2021 levels are still nowhere near back to levels observed in 2019 data, in all ENP-South countries for which data are available.

Among the ENP-South countries, the ratio of non-resident arrivals in hotels and similar establishments to population was systematically lower than in the EU, in 2011 and 2021. A total of 251 arrivals of non-residents at hotels and similar accommodation establishments per thousand inhabitants was recorded in the EU in 2021, while it was 706 in 2019 and 510 in 2011.

Figure 2: Arrivals of non-residents in hotels and similar establishments, 2011, 2019, 2020 and 2021
(number per thousand inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_arnat), (demo_pjan), (enps_tour_occ_arnat) and (enps_demo_pjangr)

Table 2 shows the development of the number of arrivals of non-residents staying in hotels and similar accommodation establishments during the period 2011-2021. Developments can be divided into the periods 2011-2019 and 2019-2021, because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which started in early 2020.

During the period 2011-2019, there was an increase in the number of arrivals of non-residents in all the ENP-South countries, where recent data is available. Among the other ENP-South countries, the strongest increase by far (in percentage terms) was recorded for Algeria, where the number of arrivals more than doubled (118.3 %), from 351 thousand in 2011 to 766 thousand in 2019. Although less spectacular, the increase in the number of non-resident arrivals in Morocco was the second highest (62.2 %). In 2019, 5.6 million non-residents arrived in Morocco, compared to 3.5 million in 2011. In Palestine, the data in 2019 were 53.4 % (688 thousand arrivals) higher than in 2011 (449 thousand arrivals). In Israel, there was an increase of 37.4 % between 2011 and 2019 in the number of arrivals of non-residents, from 3.2 million to 4.4 million. In Tunisia, the number of non-resident arrivals was 3.5 million in 2011; it fluctuated between 2011 and 2015, with a large increase in 2012 and a significant decrease in 2015. From 2016 to 2019, there were consistent increases; in 2019, the number of non-resident arrivals reached 4.5 million. Although a time series after 2014 is not available for Egypt, the information that is available highlights the impact of political turmoil in recent years: in 2011, the number of non-resident arrivals in Egypt was 8.3 million, but it was 23.5% less (6.3 million) in 2013, although in 2014 growth returned as the number of arrivals was up to 7.4 million. No data are available for Jordan and Lebanon over the studied period. In comparison, 316.4 million non-residents arrived and stayed in hotels and similar accommodation establishments in 2019 in the EU, while in 2011 this number was 224.4 million; hence a 41.0 % increase.

The number of arrivals of non-residents staying in hotels and similar establishments fell sharply in all ENP-South countries in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison with 2019, in some countries the number of arrivals continued decline in 2021 compared to 2020. In Israel, the decline between 2020 and 2021 was -65.9 % down to 277 thousand and in Morocco, -19.0 % down to 876 thousand. In Palestine and Tunisia, the number of arrivals of non-residents staying in hotels and similar establishments increased between 2020 and 2021 by 32.3 % up to 123 thousand in Palestine, and by 21.3 % to 779 thousand in Morocco.

Table 2: Arrivals of non-residents staying in hotels and similar accommodation establishments, 2011-2021
(thousands)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_arnat) and (enps_tour_occ_arnat)

Outbound tourism

This final section details the outward flow of tourists travelling abroad. Table 3 presents the number of trips made by tourists from ENP-South to destinations outside of their own country for the period 2011-2021. For the EU, the figures represent the number of trips made by EU tourists to destinations outside of their own Member State. Note that EU data for this particular indicator only refer to persons aged 15 and more. Once again, because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which started in early 2020, observed trends can be divided into the period from 2011 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2021.

Among the ENP-South countries for which data are available, the highest number of outbound trips taken by tourists was recorded for Egypt at 12.8 million in 2019, an increase of 35.2 % from 2011 (9.5 million). Israel reported the second highest number of outbound trips both in 2019 (9.2 million) and in 2011 (4.4 million). The number of trips, therefore, more than doubled over that period. The highest growth was found in Algeria, where number of trips more than trebled, with 5.7 million trips of residents going abroad in 2019 and 1.7 million in 2011. In Lebanon, 3.8 million trips were taken by residents in 2019 and 2.6 million in 2011 (up 46.2 %). In Tunisia, the number of trips doubled between 2011 (1.4 million) and 2019 (2.8 million). Jordan is the only country, for which data is available, to show a decline (by 22.2 %) in the number of trips taken by residents; from 2.0 million trips in 2011 to 1.5 in 2019. Morocco and Palestine did not have any available data on the departures of residents travelling abroad for holidays and business. In the EU, 311.4 million trips were taken in 2019, which is an increase of 29.5 % compared to 2012 (no data available for 2011).

Table 3: Departures of residents going abroad for all holidays and business, 2011-2021
(thousands of trips)
Source: Eurostat (tour_dem_tttot) and (enps_tour_dem_tttot)

Between 2019 and 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of outbound tourist trips fell sharply in all ENP-South country. In 2021, departures of residents going abroad for all holidays and business increased in all ENP-South countries for which data was available compared to 2020: by 57.7 % in Tunisia, by 50.1 % in Egypt, by 48.9 % in Israel and by 17.8 % in Lebanon. However, the numbers are still much lower than the levels observed in 2019. In all ENP-South countries for which data is available, outbound tourism was considerably lower in 2021 than it was in 2011, with the exception of Tunisia where it was 27.6 % higher.

Figure 3 illustrates departures of residents, according to the size of the different populations. Data were not available for Morocco and Palestine. In 2019, Israel had the most departures of residents going abroad for all holidays and business in relation to its population (1 024 trips per thousand inhabitants). In 2011, the number of trips taken was 570 per thousand inhabitants. Lebanon followed with 775 trips of residents per thousand inhabitants in 2019 (2018 data used for population), the number of trips was 679 in 2011 (2012 data used for population). In Tunisia, the number of trips taken by residents almost doubled from 128 trips per thousand inhabitants in 2011 to 240 trips per thousand inhabitants in 2019. In contrast, the trips per inhabitants declined in Jordan almost by half (down 49.4 %) from 295 trips per thousand inhabitants in 2011 to 149 trips per thousand inhabitants in 2019. Algeria recorded a decline with its number of outbound resident trips per inhabitants (-25.3 %) between 2011 and 2019, from 178 trips to 133 trips abroad per thousand inhabitants. Finally, Egypt reported a growth in outbound trips per inhabitants from 119 trips per thousand inhabitants in 2011 to 131 trips per thousand inhabitants in 2019. In comparison, the number of trips taken by EU residents was 698 per thousand inhabitants in 2019 and 546 per thousand inhabitants in 2011 (up 27.8 %).

Between 2019 and 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the departures of residents going abroad for holidays and business. All the ENP-South countries, for which data is available, showed a substantial growth in departures of residents going abroad for holidays and business, between 2020 and 2021 although none of them reached the level of 2019. Tunisia experienced the strongest increase (by 135.0 %) to reach 149 trips per thousand inhabitants in 2021. Egypt followed with a 97.4 % growth (75 trips per thousand inhabitants); Israel (up 92.6 %) had 325.3 trips per thousand inhabitants. There is no 2021 data for Algeria and Jordan.

Figure 3: Departures of residents going abroad for all holidays and business, 2011, 2019, 2020 and 2021
(number of trips per thousand inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (tour_dem_tttot), (demo_pjan), (enps_tour_dem_tttot) and (enps_demo_pjanr)

Source data for tables and graphs

European Neighbourhood Policy — South countries — tourism: tables and figures

Data sources

The data for ENP-South countries are supplied by and under the responsibility of the national statistical authorities of each country on a voluntary basis. The data that are presented in this article result from an annual data collection cycle that has been established by Eurostat. No recent data are available from either Libya or Syria. These statistics are available free-of-charge on Eurostat’s website, together with a range of different indicators covering most socio-economic areas. Tourism, in a statistical context, refers to the activity of visitors taking a trip to a destination outside their usual environment, for less than a year. It can be for any main purpose, including business, leisure or other personal reasons other than to be employed in the place visited. A tourist is a visitor that stays overnight (at least one night). Within the EU, a system of tourism statistics was established through Council Directive 95/57/EC of 23 November 1995 on the collection of statistical information in the field of tourism. This legal basis requires EU Member States to provide a regular set of comparable tourism statistics. The Directive was amended in 2004 and 2006, before being repealed in 2011 when the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 concerning European statistics on tourism. The 2011 Regulation on tourism statistics was amended in 2013, in 2019 and again in 2020; the current consolidated version of Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 incorporate all these amendments.

Tourism statistics in the EU consist of two main components: on the one hand, statistics relating to capacity and occupancy (supply-side tourism statistics); on the other, statistics relating to tourism demand. In most EU Member States, the former are collected via surveys filled in by accommodation establishments, while the latter are mainly collected via traveller surveys at border crossings or through household surveys. Statistics on tourism demand refer to tourist participation, in other words, trips of at least one overnight stay during the reference period.

Tables in this article use the following notation:

Value in italics	data value is forecasted, provisional or estimated and is therefore likely to change;
:	not available, confidential or unreliable value;
–	not applicable.

Context

Tourism has the potential to contribute towards employment and economic growth, as well as to development in rural, peripheral or less-developed areas. Infrastructure created for tourism purposes contributes to local development, while jobs that are created or maintained can help counteract industrial or rural decline. Sustainable tourism involves the preservation and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, ranging from the arts to local gastronomy or the preservation of biodiversity.

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), launched in 2003 and developed throughout 2004, supports and fosters stability, security and prosperity in the EU’s neighbourhood. The ENP was revised in 2015. The main principles of the revised policy are a tailored approach to partner countries; flexibility; joint ownership; greater involvement of EU member states and shared responsibility. The ENP aims to deepen engagement with civil society and social partners. It offers partner countries greater access to the EU's market and regulatory framework, standards and internal agencies and programmes.

The Joint Communication on Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood – A new Agenda for the Mediterranean, accompanied by an Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern neighbours, of 9 February 2021 further guides cooperation with the ENP-South countries.

The main objective of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in statistics is to enable the production and dissemination of reliable and comparable data, in line with European and international norms and standards.

Reliable and comparable data are essential for evidence-based decision-making. They are needed to monitor the implementation of the agreements between the EU and the ENP-South countries, the impact of policy interventions and the reaching of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The EU has been supporting statistical capacity building in the region for a number of years through bilateral and regional capacity-building activities. This takes the form of technical assistance to partner countries’ national statistical authorities through targeted assistance programmes, such as the MEDSTAT programme and activities such as training courses, working groups and workshops, exchange of best practice and the transfer of statistical know-how. Additional information on the policy context of the ENP is provided here.

Notes

↑ This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.