Small and medium-sized tourism businesses, especially those operating in rural areas, are increasingly tailoring their services to tourists who love outdoor experiences. Outdoor tourism in Europe is indeed proving to be a structural and growing segment. According to Eurostat, in 2025, overnight stays at European campsites and open-air facilities reached 413 million (+28.5% compared to 2015), surpassing the growth rate of the hotel sector.

The pandemic had given a strong boost to outdoor tourism, but the growth trend continued and stabilized: in 2024, there were 405.8 million overnight stays at European campsites (+8.6% compared to 2019), with increasingly international demand spread throughout the year, according to the Human Company Outdoor Tourism Observatory Report.

With over 3 billion total tourist visits in the EU, outdoor tourism now accounts for approximately 11.5% of total demand. When comparing this tourism segment with the more established coastal tourism sector, the latter generates over 30% of the value of the European blue economy—in part because a full 42% of the EU’s total accommodation capacity is concentrated in coastal areas. To further increase the number of visitors to outdoor tourism destinations, it is important to expand and specialize the services offered by businesses in rural areas, as the potential for this type of tourism is very high.

Furthermore, the positive trend in outdoor tourism is part of a broader recovery in European tourism, which is increasingly focused on sustainability, slow mobility, and less crowded destinations. In this scenario, hiking trails and trekking and biking activities are the most in-demand tourism products, and businesses can specialize in providing tailored services such as luggage transport, local specialty menus, bike storage areas, off-season offers, trekking guides, etc.

And in this context, the role of transnational tourism networks is growing. In this context, the EU-funded DETOUR project supports SMEs operating along rural and cultural routes in the Mediterranean by fostering collaboration, digitalisation, and sustainable tourism innovation. A key opportunity is the ongoing call for collaborative and innovative projects, offering funding and support to SMEs developing new services and solutions. For further details and application click here. Projects like DETOUR offer concrete opportunities to access new networks and tap into growing international demand.

Above all, DETOUR helps plan for the diversification of offerings and the extension of the tourist season. The long routes help to reduce peaks and spread tourist demand throughout the year. This presents an opportunity for businesses to achieve greater economic sustainability in their operations. The figure below illustrates the expansion of the “shoulder seasons,” which are expected to grow even further in the coming years.

[Credits: AEVF]