EU tourism surges back in December, but still below pre-pandemic levels - Eurostat

FILE PHOTO: Tourists enjoy a gondola ride as Italy lifts quarantine restrictions for travellers arriving from European Union countries, Britain and Israel and Venice  begins offering COVID-free flights in a bid to revive the tourism industry amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Venice, Italy, May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

Tourists in the European Union more than tripled the nights they spent in short-stay accommodation in December compared with a year earlier, the EU's statistics office said on Monday, though levels remained well below pre-pandemic norms.

The nights spent in EU short-stay tourist accommodation surged 237% to 102.2 million nights in December compared to a year earlier, Eurostat said, though this remained 27% below the 2019 figure.