In this article, we will be navigating through the 25 safest cities in Europe to visit in 2024. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 Safest Cities in Europe to Visit In 2024.
Global Tourism Industry Set to Reach $17.1 Trillion
According to a report by Future Market Insights, the global tourism industry was valued at $10.5 trillion in 2022 and is expected to grow to $17.1 trillion by 2032, registering a compound annual growth rate of 5% over the forecasted period. Region-wise, Asia, Africa, and South America dominate cultural and pilgrimage tourism while North America and Europe witness strong growths in adventure and ecological tourism. Emerging trends in the market include medical tourism, arts tourism, and adventure tourism.
Tourism in Europe
As reported by UN Tourism, international tourism started to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 as 235 million tourists traveled internationally in the first three months of the year. While the Middle East showed a strong recovery, Europe was successful in achieving 90% of pre-pandemic levels. On September 15, 2023, Eurostat reported that this rebound was strong during the first half of 2023. The number of nights spent in tourist accommodations in the EU during this period was 11 million more than in the same period in 2019. The overnight stays also exceeded the statistics for 2022. All EU members witnessed this increase in overnight stays in 2023 except for Hungary which saw a minor decrease. Overnight stays rose the most in Slovakia, Cyprus, and Malta. In addition to the foreign tourists, local tourists also increased as compared to the prior year, 2022. Altogether, 2023 was a record year for Europe, with approximately 3 billion nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments in the region.
Regardless of inflation and rising costs of travel, tourism made a swift recovery in Europe. Europe is also deemed the safest continent to visit. This is evident from the fact that 7 out of the top 10 most peaceful countries as reported by the Global Peace Index are situation in Europe. This builds the tourism market for Europe since safety is one of the primary concerns for those traveling. You can also take a look at some of the safest cities for solo female travelers and the safest countries for US travelers. Another unique aspect of the continent is that all the countries are located in close proximity which brings convenience for those who wish to see multiple cultures in a single region. European countries with the best quality of life have also been previously covered.
Companies Accommodating Tourists
As the inflow of tourists rises as in the case of Europe, hotel companies cater to the increasing demand for accommodation. Some of the most reputable and global hotel chains include Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT), and InterContinental Hotels Group (NYSE:IHG).
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) is an American multinational which operates in the hospitality industry. The company operates and franchises hotels worldwide. On January 24, Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) reported the planned expansion of its Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy. The firm has signed agreements to set up its presence in the United States, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. These new premium and luxury apartment-style accommodations will be fulfilling the diverse stay needs of the guests. Apart from convenient living spaces, they will be offering local designs.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) is another known hospitality firm based in the US. The company has more than 7,500 properties and has catered to over 3 billion guests in the past. On January 25, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) reported that Motto by Hilton has made its debut in South America by opening Motto by Hilton Cusco. The property is strategically located to enable the guests to feel the local culture while they are close to the landmarks. It is based on the Peruvian culture and will enable people to discover more about the city of Cusco’s history. Guests can enjoy flexible stays, connecting room configurations for groups, and communal spaces inspired by the culture.
InterContinental Hotels Group (NYSE:IHG) is a British multinational hospitality firm. The firm continues to build a strong global presence. On January 24, InterContinental Hotels Group (NYSE:IHG) reported that it has signed its sixth Vignette Collection property in Thailand. This development adds to the company’s Luxury and Lifestyle portfolio and ensures that the varying traveler needs in the region will be fulfilled efficiently. The upcoming beachfront resort of 115 rooms and suites will be located on Nai Yang Beach in Phuket, a leading tourist spot. It will be a short drive away from Phuket Town and Phuket International Airport.
Now that we have taken a look at global tourism, let’s move to the 25 safest cities in Europe to visit in 2024.
25 Safest Cities in Europe to Visit In 2024
Our Methodology:
In order to compile a list of the 25 safest cities in Europe to visit in 2024, we sourced data from the Global Peace Index (GPI) by the Institute for Economics and Peace. A lower score depicts a more safe and peaceful country. Since there is not enough data covering European city-level safety statistics, we proceeded by finding the safest countries in Europe first. Moving forward, we shortlisted all European countries with the highest GPI scores. We ranked these countries by their capital cities. In the case of a tiebreaker between two countries on the same GPI score, we prioritized the city based in the country with the lower score on perceived criminality in the society, which is one of the major indicators of safety.
25 Safest Cities in Europe to Visit In 2024
25. Vilnius
Global Peace Index Score: 1.671
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania which recorded a GPI score of 1.671. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.126 out of 5.
24. Rome
Global Peace Index Score: 1.662
Rome is the capital of Italy which recorded a GPI score of 1.662. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.403 out of 5.
23. Bucharest
Global Peace Index Score: 1.649
Bucharest is the capital of Romania which recorded a GPI score of 1.649. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.198 out of 5.
22. Madrid
Global Peace Index Score: 1.649
Madrid is the capital of Spain which recorded a GPI score of 1.649. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.882 out of 5.
21. Sofia
Global Peace Index Score: 1.643
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria which recorded a GPI score of 1.643. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.491 out of 5.
20. Warsaw
Global Peace Index Score: 1.634
Warsaw is the capital of Poland which recorded a GPI score of 1.634. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.146 out of 5.
19. Stockholm
Global Peace Index Score: 1.625
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden which recorded a GPI score of 1.625. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.875 out of 5.
18. Riga
Global Peace Index Score: 1.582
Riga is the capital of Latvia which recorded a GPI score of 1.582. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.77 out of 5.
17. Bratislava
Global Peace Index Score: 1.578
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia which recorded a GPI score of 1.578. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.026 out of 5.
16. Tallinn
Global Peace Index Score: 1.563
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia which recorded a GPI score of 1.563. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.675 out of 5.
15. Oslo
Global Peace Index Score: 1.55
Oslo is the capital of Norway which recorded a GPI score of 1.55. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.314 out of 5.
14. Brussels
Global Peace Index Score: 1.523
Brussels is the capital of Belgium which recorded a GPI score of 1.523. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.213 out of 5.
13. Budapest
Global Peace Index Score: 1.508
Budapest is the capital of Hungary which recorded a GPI score of 1.508. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.217 out of 5.
12. Amsterdam
Global Peace Index Score: 1.49
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands which recorded a GPI score of 1.49. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.765 out of 5.
11. Berlin
Global Peace Index Score: 1.456
Berlin is the capital of Germany which recorded a GPI score of 1.456. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 2.212 out of 5.
10. Zagreb
Global Peace Index Score: 1.45
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia which recorded a GPI score of 1.45. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.542 out of 5.
9. Helsinki
Global Peace Index Score: 1.399
Helsinki is the capital of Finland which recorded a GPI score of 1.399. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.65 out of 5.
8. Prague
Global Peace Index Score: 1.379
Prague is the capital of Czechia which recorded a GPI score of 1.379. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.763 out of 5.
7. Bern
Global Peace Index Score: 1.339
Bern is the capital of Switzerland which recorded a GPI score of 1.339. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.524 out of 5.
6. Ljubljana
Global Peace Index Score: 1.334
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia which recorded a GPI score of 1.334. The perceived criminality in the society was given a score of 1.511 out of 5.
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Disclosure: None. 25 Safest Cities in Europe to Visit In 2024 is originally published on Insider Monkey.