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The tourism industry continues to navigate a turbulent period with soaring jet fuel prices and the knock-on effect on travel costs. But amid all this, how is Europe faring?
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Pretty well, or to be precise, “steady”, according to the Travel Insights 2026: Focus on Europe report published by Amadeus Travel Intelligence and UN Tourism.
Latest findings reveal that the continent remains resilient and continues to “hold up well overall”, with passenger traffic having grown 2.3% as well as hotel occupancy up 2% from May 2025 to April 2026 compared to the year prior.
Europe remains the world’s largest tourism destination region, welcoming more than 130 million international tourists in the first quarter of 2026.
Reflecting a 4% increase, this builds on the “strong momentum of 2025”, the report said, with some European destinations having “benefitted from the redirection of tourism flow in March”.
Southern Mediterranean Europe and Northern Europe both saw a 4% increase in arrivals in Q1 2026, while Central Eastern Europe (+6%) consolidated its rebound. Arrivals in Western Europe recorded 2% growth in the first quarter of the year.
Where are travellers heading to in Europe?
Forecast air passenger volume and scheduled airline seats from April to September 2026 are expected to peak at just over 160 million, with the US, Spain and Germany being among the largest markets.
Aside from these top three, the report also found the strongest year-on-year growth from Japanese, Danish and Egyptian travellers to Europe at 19%, 11% and 8% respectively.
With regards to origin markets, Japanese travellers are the most likely to “pack their bags and travel to Europe”, the report said. A 62% growth in search from Japan translated into a 19% growth in bookings, surpassing Denmark, the next origin market in terms of bookings growth, by eight percentage points.
Just where is everyone travelling to?
Spain dominates as being both Europe’s most searched-for and booked destination. However, Czechia ranked number one as the fastest‑growing booked destination among Europe’s top markets with year-on-year growth at 18%, ahead of Iceland on 11%.
The country also ranks highly among the top searched-for destinations within Central and Eastern Europe as well as hotel occupancy having risen from a 2026 new year slump to more than 60%.
Other destinations, including Iceland and Denmark, are also recording the strongest growth among the continent’s 30 most booked destinations.
According to the report, this signals a strong appetite among travellers for culturally rich city breaks and nature‑led travel in Northern and Central Europe, pointing to a shift away from what it calls “traditional tourism powerhouses”. The booking data also shows travellers are on the hunt for destinations that offer distinct experiences alongside seasonal balance.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan emerged as capturing travellers’ attention online the most, with searches for both countries climbing 64%. Strong search growth also came from Switzerland (+36%), Sweden (+36%), Denmark (+34%), Ireland (+33%), Belgium (+32%) and Norway (+31%).
Southern and Mediterranean air routes and booking trends
Arrivals to Southern and Mediterranean Europe across July and August will reach a peak of almost 70 million in air passenger volume and scheduled airline seats.
Compared to anywhere else on the continent, the South and Mediterranean region is expanding air connectivity the most. Around 1,100 new flight routes have been launched in the past year, with 96 hailing from Germany, 58 from France and 51 from Italy and Spain. Among the emerging links are Slovakia to Spain, Ethiopia to Portugal, as well as China to Greece.
The report also found that travellers are booking their holidays well in advance. More than half of bookings, around 53%, to the South and Mediterranean region are made at least one month before departure, with the 61- to 180-day booking window accounting for around 26%, which is the largest share.
However, the region does still also see last-minute travel demand with around 29% of trips being made between one and 14 days before departure, with another 17% of travellers arriving 15 to 30 days from booking.
“Travellers are actively booking close to departure, creating space for flash promotions, weekend packages and dynamic pricing aimed at flexible last-minute demand,” the report said.
Older travellers driving European demand
Who says wanderlust fades as you get older?
Europe-wide, adults aged 46 to 65 now account for approximately 30% of travel demand across the continent, which is the largest traveller demographic by age. This figure even increases slightly in destinations such as London, Paris and Madrid.
A previous report by Amadeus found that this demographic is especially interested in authentic local experiences, cultural discovery, wellbeing and a deeper connection to destinations.
“This mature, high-spending audience is well aligned with premium experiences and cultural offerings, while younger groups still hold meaningful share to support a multigenerational visitor mix,” the Travel Insights 2026 report said.
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