(Reuters) - Online booking platforms continued to exceed pre-COVID levels in the European Union during the second quarter of 2023, with reservations for short-term stays jumping 15.8% and setting new monthly records, the bloc's statistics office said on Monday.
"Guests spent almost 153 million nights in short-term rental accommodation in the EU, booked via Airbnb, Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG), Expedia Group or TripAdvisor," Eurostat said. The data did not include hotel stays.
Bookings made via online platforms increased by nearly a fifth in April, followed by a 22.6% jump in May and a 8.4% rise in June, compared to a year earlier.
Reservations in the first half of the year were 18.8% above 2022 levels and 22.6% ahead of 2019 pre-pandemic levels, the data showed.
Demand for leisure travel has been soaring both in Europe and globally since the end of COVID-19 lockdowns, nearing pre-pandemic levels even as high inflation erodes consumers' spending power.
Booking Holdings and Airbnb saw their revenues grow by 27% and 18%, respectively, during the April-June quarter.