Online bookings of tourist accommodation in Poland surge in 2024

In 2024, Poland recorded a significant increase in the use of online platforms for booking holiday and short-stay accommodation, with 5.2 million bookings made via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia, and Tripadvisor. This marks a 22.2% year-on-year rise, according to experimental data published by the Statistical Office in Rzeszów in cooperation with the European Commission.

These bookings translated into 39 million overnight stays, up 19% compared to 2023. Domestic tourists accounted for the majority, making 3.5 million bookings (67.8%) and spending 23.7 million nights in rented establishments. Foreign tourists contributed 1.7 million bookings (32.2%) and 15.3 million overnight stays. This represents a 26.5% increase in domestic bookings and a 14% rise among international visitors.

The Małopolskie Voivodship, which includes popular destinations such as Kraków and Zakopane, recorded the highest number of bookings at 1 million, followed by Mazowieckie (922,900) and Pomorskie (740,300). Together, these three regions also accounted for more than half of all overnight stays, with Małopolskie alone logging 9.3 million stays, a 20.8% increase from the previous year.

The smallest number of bookings was reported in the Opolskie Voivodship (28,700 stays), though this figure still reflected a strong year-on-year growth of 51.9%. Similarly, Opolskie had the lowest number of overnight stays at 144,500, albeit up 39.7% from 2023.

Foreign tourists from EU countries made up nearly two-thirds (61.4%) of all international overnight stays. German visitors led with 23.4% of these nights, followed by tourists from Ukraine (11.2%), the Czech Republic (6.8%), the United States (4%), and the United Kingdom (3.6%).

The figures reflect only bookings made through the four major online platforms and exclude data from traditional hotel bookings, campgrounds, or private arrangements. The data is considered experimental and is part of ongoing efforts to better understand tourism flows through digital channels.

Prepared by the Statistical Office in Rzeszów, the report underscores Poland’s growing reliance on digital booking platforms and the continued appeal of its tourist destinations to both domestic and international travellers.