Startup projects in the field of tourism and hospitality: a comparative analysis of European Union countries

Abstract

Tourism and hospitality are among the key sectors of the European Union’s economy, providing a significant contribution to the gross domestic product and employment for millions of citizens. According to Eurostat data for 2023, this sector accounted for approximately 10 % of the EU’s GDP, and the post-COVID-19 recovery has stimulated the intensification of innovation processes. Technologically oriented startups, known as travel tech, play a pivotal role in transforming the industry by offering solutions for digital booking, sustainable tourism, personalized services, and artificial intelligence integration. The relevance of this study is determined by the growing interest of investors in travel tech startups within the EU, where investment volume in 2024 exceeded € 2 billion, with an emphasis on digitalization and environmentally sustainable technologies. However, the distribution of such projects across EU countries remains uneven: leading positions are held by states with well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems, such as Germany, Spain, and France, while Eastern European countries exhibit slower development rates.