Southern Europe and North America are emerging as the biggest winners in global travel demand this northern summer, while parts of Asia and the Middle East face headwinds linked to ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
New analysis from Data Appeal Mabrian, the tourism and destinations division of The Data Appeal Company / Almaviva Group, found Southern Europe captured 11.71 per cent of global international travel intent between June and August 2026, up 2.47 percentage points year on year.
The research, based on the company’s Share of Searches Index, points to Greece, Spain and Italy as the standout performers, benefiting from strong air connectivity and travellers seeking familiar, easily accessible destinations.
“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,” chief marketing and communications officer Carlos Cendra said.
Athens recorded the strongest growth among Southern European destinations, increasing its share of global travel intent by 0.23 percentage points to 0.77 per cent. Barcelona, Rome, Madrid and Milan also posted gains.
North America also enjoyed strong momentum, accounting for 8.36 per cent of global travel intent, up 1.01 percentage points compared with summer 2025.
The report attributes part of the growth to FIFA-related travel demand across major US gateway cities including New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando. Canadian destinations also recorded healthy growth, with Vancouver and Calgary among the strongest performers.
While Asia continues to dominate overall demand, the picture is more mixed.
Eastern Asia remains the world’s largest tourism region by market share, capturing 14.41 per cent of global travel intent, while South-Eastern Asia follows closely with 13.58 per cent.
However, Eastern Asia’s share fell by 1.67 percentage points year on year, while Western Asia experienced the sharpest decline globally, down 2.69 percentage points, as tensions in the Middle East weighed on traveller sentiment.
Despite this, South-Eastern Asia continued to grow, increasing its share by 0.55 percentage points.
Bali led demand across the region, accounting for 1.38 per cent of global travel intent, followed by Manila and Jakarta. Vietnamese destinations including Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Minh City also recorded gains, alongside Mactan-Cebu in the Philippines and Koh Samui in Thailand.
The report also highlighted growing demand for destinations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa as travellers diversify their travel choices.
Latin America and the Caribbean captured 3.38 per cent of global travel intent, rising 0.72 percentage points year on year, making it one of the fastest-growing regions globally. Peru, Brazil and Mexico led the increase in demand.
Meanwhile, Africa recorded a modest increase, reaching 4.28 per cent of global travel intent.
The growing popularity of “coolcations” also continued to boost Northern Europe, which captured 5.96 per cent of global travel demand, up 0.60 percentage points year on year.
London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Copenhagen and Iceland all recorded increases in travel intent as travellers sought cooler alternatives to traditional Mediterranean summer hotspots.
