Europe’s pubs, bars, cafés and tavernas are becoming destinations in their own right, influencing where people travel and how long they stay, new research shows.

New research from Heineken found that local bars and pubs are influencing where tourists choose to go, the neighbourhoods they explore and how long they stay.

More than a third (35%) of people surveyed said they had visited a particular area specifically because of a local bar, while one in five extended their trip because of one.

Europe’s lifestyle attracts tourists from around the world, contributing an overall estimated £702billion (€828 billion) in tourism spending each year. Pubs, bars, cafés and tavernas sit at the heart of that tourism economy, offering visitors a window into local life while supporting businesses and jobs across the continent.

For many tourists, this is because getting a real taste of a destination means going where local life happens.

Nearly three quarters (73%) agree you understand a place better when you’ve spent time where locals socialise. Whether it is a bustling neighbourhood pub in London, a canal-side café in Amsterdam or a family-run taverna in southern Europe, these spaces offer something visitors increasingly seek: a chance to experience local life first-hand. 

More than three quarters (77%) of tourists said they visited a local pub, bar, café or taverna multiple times during their most recent European holiday, highlighting the role these venues play in creating memorable experiences and helping visitors feel connected to the places they visit.

And at the heart of these spaces is something harder to put a price on: social connection. Nearly three quarters (74%) agree these spaces create opportunities for meaningful face-to-face connection that are hard to replicate elsewhere, while more than half (52%) have struck up a conversation with someone they didn’t know in one. 

The research also showed that tourists spend almost €2.5 billion a year on Heineken beers alone, equal to nearly two million beers bought by tourists every day

Glenn Caton, president of Europe at the Heineken Company, commented: “Tourism is hugely important to Europe, and thriving pubs, bars, cafés and tavernas are part of what makes its cities and neighbourhoods worth visiting. They bring visitors into local communities, support hospitality business and jobs, and give people a reason to explore beyond the traditional tourist trail.

“But their value isn’t only economic. These are places where visitors can experience local life first-hand – meeting people, discovering local culture and becoming part of a community, even if only for an evening. Europe’s Living Rooms celebrates that wider role, and the positive contribution that beer and hospitality make to Europe.”