Development Opportunities for the Accommodation Industry: Evidence from European Countries

Abstract

This article focuses on the current trends in accommodation industry development in European countries through the study of satisfaction with tourists’ increasing demand for accommodation. The total number of tourist nights spent at accommodation establishments continues to increase. Nevertheless, the growth of this indicator is significantly different across both regions and accommodation activity types. Moreover, the decrease in the number of tourist nights spent due to the impact of crises and destructive factors also varies. Based on the results of a data analysis of the Eurostat online database, we found that the number of beds at the accommodation establishments is not a key factor that determines the number of tourist nights spent. This finding represents the importance for the development strategy of considering not only the capacity of accommodation establishments, but also the variety of accommodation activity types. The data analysis of some countries’ cases points out that even a less robust accommodation industry has opportunities to develop in a difficult and uncertain period. This study result has practical applications in an effective development strategy particularly in a time of crisis.