2026.06.18
Travel Powered by Booking.com Supported €691 Billion in Economic Activity Across Europe in 2025
Travel Powered by Booking.com Supported €691 Billion in Economic Activity Across Europe in 2025
Research commissioned by Booking.com in partnership with Oxford Economics highlights the scale of tourism’s contributions to jobs and economic growth across the continent – and the role of Booking.com in connecting travel and tourism businesses of all sizes to global demand
- Travel reserved through Booking.com generated €691 billion in economic activity across Europe in 2025, a figure comparable to the GDP of Belgium, the seventh largest in the EU.
- Visitors using Booking.com spent €291 billion during their trips, benefiting not only accommodation providers, but contributing to Europe’s vibrant hospitality, retail, and entertainment sectors.
- This activity supported 4.7 million jobs and €175 billion in wages, underlining tourism’s role as a major European employer.
- Launched at VivaTech 2026 in Paris, the report contributes to the wider conversation on innovation, competitiveness and economic opportunity in Europe.
Paris and Amsterdam, June 18, 2026 – Booking.com and Oxford Economics today unveiled new research showing how travel demand facilitated by Booking.com is supporting jobs, businesses and economic growth across Europe (EU-27, plus the UK and Switzerland). In 2025 alone, this supported €691 billion in economic activity across the region.
The report launched in Paris at VivaTech 2026 where Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel discussed how technology and innovation can help strengthen competitiveness and unlock new economic opportunities for the success of European businesses and communities. This impact extends far beyond accommodation. Visitor spending creates ripple effects, from local suppliers to cross-border trade, generating nearly €300 billion in additional economic activity across Europe.
According to the research, travellers using Booking.com spent €291 billion during their trips in Europe in 2025, supporting businesses across hospitality, retail, transport and entertainment. This demand supported 4.7 million jobs and €175 billion in wages across the continent.
These findings show how digital travel platforms can help businesses of all sizes – particularly independent accommodation providers and SMEs – access global demand and contribute to local economic growth. It also illustrates how travel demand can act as a powerful engine for economic growth, job creation and regional development across Europe.
Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com, said: “Travel is one of Europe’s most powerful economic drivers – and these findings show it. Millions of jobs, billions in tax revenues, and thousands of SMEs growing because our platform allows them to reach travellers from every corner of the world in a simple and highly cost efficient way. At Booking.com, we believe technology’s greatest contribution is helping small businesses compete with larger businesses and globally – exactly as this research demonstrates. Europe has an extraordinary asset in tourism and we’re proud to back it.”
David Goodger, Managing Director EMEA of Oxford Economics, said: “Europe’s travel economy depends not only on major destinations, but also on the ability of smaller businesses and regional economies across Europe to access travel demand. What stands out from the analysis is the breadth of economic activity linked to travel demand associated with Booking.com across Europe. The impacts extend well beyond accommodation, supporting jobs, wages, tax revenues, and business activity across retail, transport, food services, entertainment, and wider supply chains.”
Download the full 2026 Oxford Economic Report via news.booking.com.
Research commissioned by Booking.com in partnership with Oxford Economics highlights the scale of tourism’s contributions to jobs and economic growth across the continent – and the role of Booking.com in connecting travel and tourism businesses of all sizes to global demand
- Travel reserved through Booking.com generated €691 billion in economic activity across Europe in 2025, a figure comparable to the GDP of Belgium, the seventh largest in the EU.
- Visitors using Booking.com spent €291 billion during their trips, benefiting not only accommodation providers, but contributing to Europe’s vibrant hospitality, retail, and entertainment sectors.
- This activity supported 4.7 million jobs and €175 billion in wages, underlining tourism’s role as a major European employer.
- Launched at VivaTech 2026 in Paris, the report contributes to the wider conversation on innovation, competitiveness and economic opportunity in Europe.
Paris and Amsterdam, June 18, 2026 – Booking.com and Oxford Economics today unveiled new research showing how travel demand facilitated by Booking.com is supporting jobs, businesses and economic growth across Europe (EU-27, plus the UK and Switzerland). In 2025 alone, this supported €691 billion in economic activity across the region.
The report launched in Paris at VivaTech 2026 where Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel discussed how technology and innovation can help strengthen competitiveness and unlock new economic opportunities for the success of European businesses and communities. This impact extends far beyond accommodation. Visitor spending creates ripple effects, from local suppliers to cross-border trade, generating nearly €300 billion in additional economic activity across Europe.
According to the research, travellers using Booking.com spent €291 billion during their trips in Europe in 2025, supporting businesses across hospitality, retail, transport and entertainment. This demand supported 4.7 million jobs and €175 billion in wages across the continent.
These findings show how digital travel platforms can help businesses of all sizes – particularly independent accommodation providers and SMEs – access global demand and contribute to local economic growth. It also illustrates how travel demand can act as a powerful engine for economic growth, job creation and regional development across Europe.
Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com, said: “Travel is one of Europe’s most powerful economic drivers – and these findings show it. Millions of jobs, billions in tax revenues, and thousands of SMEs growing because our platform allows them to reach travellers from every corner of the world in a simple and highly cost efficient way. At Booking.com, we believe technology’s greatest contribution is helping small businesses compete with larger businesses and globally – exactly as this research demonstrates. Europe has an extraordinary asset in tourism and we’re proud to back it.”
David Goodger, Managing Director EMEA of Oxford Economics, said: “Europe’s travel economy depends not only on major destinations, but also on the ability of smaller businesses and regional economies across Europe to access travel demand. What stands out from the analysis is the breadth of economic activity linked to travel demand associated with Booking.com across Europe. The impacts extend well beyond accommodation, supporting jobs, wages, tax revenues, and business activity across retail, transport, food services, entertainment, and wider supply chains.”
Download the full 2026 Oxford Economic Report via news.booking.com.