European Travel Commission report published

European intention to travel in spring and summer 2026 reaches highest level, according to ETC report

According to the latest report by the European Travel Commission (ETC), Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel – Spring/Summer 2026, 82% of Europeans plan to travel between April and September 2026, representing a significant increase (+10%) compared to last year.

  • This is the highest level of travel intent recorded since 2020.

  • Travel within Europe continues to dominate, with stronger demand this season for southern and Mediterranean destinations.

  • Travellers are becoming more cautious, planning fewer and shorter trips with more moderate budgets.

Younger Europeans are playing a key role in driving this growth. Travel intentions among those aged 18–34 have increased significantly, with the strongest year-on-year growth across all age groups (+21% among those aged 18–24 and +16% among those aged 25–34).

Although travel sentiment is at record levels, Europeans are becoming more deliberate and selective in how they travel.

Compared to last year, travellers are increasingly planning shorter trips. The most common duration is now 4 to 6 nights (38%, up 3%), while longer stays of 7 to 12 nights have declined (37%, down 5%).

Travel budgets are also tightening. An increasing number of travellers (+4%) plan to allocate a moderate budget of up to EUR 1,000 per trip. At the same time, the share of higher-spending travellers has decreased, with those budgeting EUR 1,500 or more per trip down by 9% compared to the previous season. This shift reflects increased price sensitivity and a stronger focus on value for money.

Travellers are also planning fewer trips overall. 39% of Europeans intend to travel only once in the next six months, up 7% compared to last year, while the share of those planning to travel at least twice has fallen to 57%.

Geopolitical tensions and rising costs are increasingly influencing travel decisions. Safety has strengthened as the leading criterion when choosing a destination (22% of travellers), followed by pleasant and stable weather (15%) and attractive offers (14%).

The full report is available for download here.

Source and photo: ETC