Colourful characters and frenzied rhythms take centre stage in many European cities during the carnival celebrations in February and March. These traditional multi-day events play a major role in attracting tourists to these destinations. While locals flock to these celebrations, tourists are just as keen to take to the streets of Venice, Tenerife, Cologne and Nice. So, were the hotel performances of these cities also in celebration?
Venice Carnival: international influence as strong as ever
The most famous carnival in Europe, with its instantly recognisable masks, the theme of this year's Venice Carnival was ‘In the time of Casanova’. And this theme was at the heart of a vast international communications campaign run by the destination.
This marketing operation, combined with improved rail and air links and the fact that the city coincided with school holidays in several European countries, enabled the city to post strong hotel performances in February. In fact, Venice posted an 18% increase in RevPAR over the month as a whole, with the carnival being the driving force behind this dynamic performance.
Most of this increase was due to the rise in the average daily rate (+16.8%), while the occupancy rate rose only slightly (+0.5 points). However, the increase in visitor numbers is more marked than in 2023 (+4.4 points), attesting to the appeal of this event, which seems to know no bounds.
And this perpetual rise in attendance is not without consequences. Already a victim of overtourism, the Serenissima has seen hordes of tourists pouring through its doors, to the point of creating human traffic jams in the key locations for the carnival celebrations. The authorities opted not to impose the infamous entry tax during Carnival, which caused so much debate last year.
Santa Cruz de Tenerifen Carnival: no new record in sight
Carnaval Tenerife 2025 par Hospitality ON
The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the second largest carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro, attracting up to one million participants in 2024. Although the official figures for this year have not yet been released, they are likely to fall short of this record, given the Canary Islands' hotel performance over the period.
Indeed, the occupancy rate fell drastically...
Paris
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