92% Of EU Residents’ Trips Remain Within The European Union, Eurostat Data Shows

More than nine out of every 10 trips made by European Union residents in 2025 were within the EU, highlighting the bloc’s strong domestic and regional travel patterns, according to the latest data released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office.

EU residents made approximately 1.20 billion personal and professional trips in 2025, an increase of 1.4% compared with 2024, equivalent to 17 million additional trips. Of these, 848 million were domestic trips within residents’ own countries, while 264 million were trips to other EU member states. Together, these accounted for 92% of all trips.

Trips to destinations outside the EU accounted for the remaining 8%, and fewer than half of those journeys were to destinations outside Europe, Eurostat reported.

Domestic Travel Accounts For 70% Of All Trips

Domestic tourism continued to dominate travel patterns across the bloc in 2025, accounting for around 70% of all trips made by EU residents.

Romania recorded the highest proportion of domestic trips, at 89%, followed by Spain at 87%. Greece, France and Portugal each reported an 85% share of trips within their own borders.

At the other end of the scale, Luxembourg had the lowest share of domestic trips, at just 5%. Belgium followed at 29%, while Malta recorded 32%.

These differences reflect varying travel patterns across EU countries, including their size, geographical location and proximity to neighbouring destinations.

Luxembourg, Belgium And Malta Lead In Cross-Border EU Travel

Although domestic journeys accounted for most trips overall, residents of some EU countries travelled abroad within the bloc more frequently.

Luxembourg, Belgium and Malta recorded relatively high proportions of cross-border travel within the EU. Their geographical characteristics and proximity to other countries can make international journeys more accessible for holidays, work and personal visits.

The figures distinguish between domestic trips, journeys to other EU member states and trips outside the bloc, providing an overview of how Europeans travel for both personal and professional reasons.

Foreign Trips Generate Higher Tourism Spending

Despite the larger number of domestic journeys, EU residents spent more money on foreign trips than on travel within their own countries.

In 2025, expenditure on domestic trips totalled €266.2 billion, compared with €379.4 billion on foreign trips.

Accommodation and transport accounted for substantial shares of spending in both categories.

For domestic travel, accommodation represented 34% of expenditure, or €90.3 billion, while transport accounted for 21%, equivalent to €56 billion.

For foreign trips, accommodation made up 35% of spending, at €131.3 billion, while transport accounted for 32%, or €121.5 billion.

The figures indicate that overseas journeys within and beyond the EU generally involve higher overall expenditure, even though domestic travel remains more common.

What The Eurostat Data Show

The latest figures underline the importance of domestic and intra-European travel to the EU’s tourism sector. While residents continue to favour trips within their own countries, travel to other EU member states also represents a significant share of tourism activity.

The data cover personal and professional trips by EU residents and distinguish between domestic travel, travel to other EU countries and journeys outside the bloc.

Overall, the findings show that Europe’s tourism activity remains concentrated within its own borders, with domestic travel forming the largest category and cross-border journeys within the EU accounting for much of the remainder.