International tourist arrivals across Europe rose by 5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with hotel overnight stays up 4.8%, according to the latest European Tourism Commission (ETC) report published on 9 July 2026. Releases from the European Union's ETC show almost 80% of European destinations reported increases in visitor numbers, driven by a combination of safety, value for money and flexibility, despite economic uncertainty elsewhere.
"Across Europe, the demand for holidays and short breaks remains resilient despite the challenging geopolitical and economic backdrop," said the ETC. "Tourists are looking to make the most of their hard-earned money."
Regional Performance: Northern Europe Leads, Mediterranean Shows Contrasts
Regional performance varied across Europe, with growth highest in Northern Europe, where arrivals were up 10% and hotel overnight stays increased by 8.4% year-on-year. The Central and Eastern Europe region also performed well, with an increase in both visitor numbers (+5.2%) and hotel nights (+6.9%) as tourists took advantage of new experiences and value for money.
The Mediterranean region continued to be a key tourism destination with an overall rise in visitor numbers of 7%, but with contrasting figures between individual countries. Destinations within Southern Europe saw the strongest performance, with Greece registering an impressive jump of 38.3%, followed by Italy (+21.1%). Turkey recorded a slight fall (-2.1%) while Cyprus was down significantly (-17.9%), which was attributed to the regional impact of the Middle East conflict on air connectivity to the region. Overall air traffic was up 7% in the first quarter, but only 1% in April following revised airline routes.
Spending Patterns and Shifting Traveler Behavior
Spending power remains strong for many tourists, with average expenditure per person in Greece up 64.3% compared to the same period last year, despite the increase in visitor numbers. Spending in Italy was more modest at +4.3%.
Tourists are also being more discerning about their destination choices, prioritizing security, value for money, location and flexibility. For the summer of 2026, European tourists plan to spend 13% of their overall consumer budget on leisure, way above the global average of 8.5%. Non-European travelers also increased their spending slightly, with expenditure up from 7.5% to 7.7% of overall budget for the same period.
Affordability is a growing concern for both tourists and travel businesses as peak season approaches, with Travel Industry Monitor data revealing that 48% of respondents had identified value for money as their biggest challenge in the current quarter, compared to 32% in the same period last year. Southern Europe is set to benefit from this trend, capturing 61% of summer traveler demand between June and November.
Off-Season Shift and Sustainability Trends
The popularity of visiting Europe in the shoulder months is set to grow as tourists look to avoid both the intense heat of the peak summer months and overcrowding at popular destinations. This has led to an increase in demand for travel in September, with online searches for accommodation up and overall visitor numbers to Europe expected to rise.
Sustainable tourism remained a priority for both businesses and tourists, with growing online searches for eco-friendly accommodation and transport, but overall only 41% of consumers would be willing to change their behavior when it came to transport and holidays to reduce their impact.
