Greece, Spain and Italy drive surge in summer 2026 travel demand
New data shows that Southern Europe is the fastest-growing tourism region this summer, as travellers look towards destinations that feel ‘closer, more familiar and more accessible’, amid geopolitical uncertainty and aviation disruption.
Southern Europe is set to be the standout region this summer in the Northern Hemisphere, with Greece, Spain and Italy recording the strongest growth in international travel demand as travellers increasingly opt for "closer, more familiar" destinations.
According to new analysis from The Data Appeal Company/Almaviva Group, Southern Europe will capture 11.71% of global international travel intent between June and August 2026, an increase of 2.47 percentage points compared with the same period last year. The findings are based on the company’s Share of Searches Index, which tracks global flight search behaviour to measure travel demand.
The Mediterranean region’s strong performance comes at a time when international travel patterns are being reshaped by geopolitical tensions, flight rerouting and rising operating costs for airlines.
While destinations across Asia continue to attract the largest overall share of travellers, uncertainty linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East is prompting many holidaymakers to favour destinations perceived as easier to reach.
“Summer travel intent data suggests that, as air connectivity and flight corridors are disrupted by rerouting, higher costs and geopolitical uncertainty, long-haul demand is naturally reorganising towards destinations that feel closer, more familiar and more accessible,” said Carlos Cendra, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Data Appeal.
According to Cendra, this helps explain “the positive outlook for destinations gaining travel intent, particularly in Southern Europe, as well as the resilience of Asian regions”, despite the decline in overall demand to Eastern and Western Asia, which continue to be supported by substantial intercontinental and regional travel flows.
Among Southern Europe’s top performers, Athens recorded the largest increase in travel intent, rising by 0.23 percentage points year-on-year to capture 0.77% of global demand. The Greek capital continues to benefit from its dual appeal as a city-break destination and gateway to the country’s islands.
Barcelona remains the region’s most searched destination, accounting for 1.01% of global travel intent, while Madrid, Rome and Milan also posted notable gains. Researchers attribute the growth to strong air connectivity and the enduring popularity of Mediterranean beach holidays.
Strong summer demand for North America
Elsewhere, North America is also enjoying a strong summer. The region accounts for 8.36% of global travel intent, up by 1.01 percentage points year-on-year.
Analysts point to increased demand linked to the FIFA World Cup, with gateway cities including New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando benefiting from international interest. Canadian destinations are also seeing growth, particularly Vancouver and Calgary.
Asia continues to dominate global travel demand overall. Eastern Asia accounts for 14.41% of international travel intent, while South-Eastern Asia captures 13.58%. “This means that more than one in four international travellers will choose destinations in these two regions during summer 2026,” the report said.
However, Eastern Asia has experienced a significant decline in demand compared with summer 2025, while Western Asia recorded the steepest drop of any region, losing 2.69 percentage points of market share. Despite this, destinations such as Türkiye, Cyprus and Georgia continue to attract travellers through strong regional demand.
South-Eastern Asia remains a bright spot, posting modest growth. Bali leads the region with 1.38% of global travel intent, followed by Manila and Jakarta, while destinations across Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines continue to gain momentum.
The data also highlights a broader redistribution of travel demand. Latin America and the Caribbean recorded one of the strongest increases globally, led by Peru, Brazil and Mexico, while Africa posted modest growth.
Meanwhile, Northern Europe continues to benefit from the “coolcation” trend. The region captured 5.96% of global travel intent, with destinations including London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Copenhagen and Iceland attracting travellers seeking milder summer temperatures and alternatives to the Mediterranean heat.
