Holiday Market Spending Rises Across Europe: Which Cities Saw the Biggest Increases?
Spending at European holiday markets has grown steadily in recent years. On average, visitor spending has increased by 15% per year since 2022. Visa predicts this trend will continue through the end of the 2025 holiday season.
Europe’s holiday markets are famous for their festive decorations, wooden stalls, and the smell of mulled wine. Every winter, millions of people visit these markets to enjoy the holiday atmosphere, meet friends, and buy food, drinks, and gifts. Some visitors also come for exciting rides, like giant Ferris wheels or the thrilling Starflyer.
For many cities, Christmas markets are not just about tradition. They also help attract tourists and boost spending, which supports the local economy.
Visa’s latest analysis looked at 20 major European holiday markets. It found that spending has grown by an average of 15% each year since 2022. For example, if someone spent €100 at a market in 2022, they would have spent about €115 in 2023 and €133 in 2024. Spending in 2025 is already higher than before the holiday season started, and Visa expects this growth to continue through the end of the year.
If this 15% annual growth continues, €100 spent in 2022 would grow to about €152 by 2025. That means overall spending at these markets could increase by 52% in three years.
Which Cities Saw the Biggest Growth?
According to Visa, Frankfurt and Cologne in Germany saw the highest growth in holiday market spending. In Frankfurt, spending rose by 45% on average each year, while in Cologne, it increased by 35%. This means that €100 spent in Frankfurt in 2022 would grow to €145 in 2023 and reach €210 in 2024, showing strong year-on-year growth.
Strasbourg in France and Krakow in Poland followed, with spending growth of 30% and 25%, respectively. Munich, Budapest, and Copenhagen also showed strong increases, each with about a 20% rise in spending.
Completing the top 10 were Lille (15%), Nuremberg (15%), and Basel (10%).
Claudio di Nella, head of Visa consulting and analytics in Europe, told Euronews: “Our data shows that holiday markets are increasingly driving cross-border spending and supporting local businesses during a very important period for the economy.”
In short, European holiday markets are not just a festive tradition—they are becoming an important part of local tourism and business growth. With spending rising year after year, cities with popular markets are likely to see more visitors, more activity, and more economic benefits during the holiday season.
Visa predicts this trend will continue
Visa says digital payments are helping the growth of Christmas markets. They make shopping easy and safe for visitors, whether they are visiting a nearby market or traveling further away.
“As people look for real and memorable experiences, markets across Europe are seeing record visitor numbers. We expect this trend to keep growing this year and in the future,” said Claudio di Nella.
Visa found that Prague, Krakow, and Budapest were the busiest Christmas markets, with tens of thousands of visitors each day in November and December.
For international visitors, Strasbourg saw the biggest growth, up just over 45% from last year, followed by Lille at nearly 40% and Frankfurt at about 35%.
Which cities were included?
Visa studied 20 cities in 14 countries. The markets included were: Basel, Bratislava, Bruges, Brussels, Budapest, Cologne, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Gothenburg, Frankfurt, Krakow, Lille, Munich, Nuremberg, Prague, Riga, Stockholm, Strasbourg, Tallinn, and Vienna.
Seasonal job postings rise before Christmas
Christmas markets also create temporary jobs. Hiring goes up sharply during the holiday season.
Indeed, a job search platform, says searches for Christmas market and seasonal jobs in the UK reached their highest level in early October 2025, the strongest since 2018.
Normally, seasonal jobs make up less than 0.3% of all job postings on Indeed in the UK, but this can rise above 1% before Christmas.
Many other European countries also see a big increase in seasonal jobs during the festive season.
Also Read:
European Investors Eye Renewable Energy Projects
How Compassionate Communication Transforms Healthcare
Top European Cities to Ring in New Year 2026