Europe remains the most reliable destination for long-haul travel, but tourists are budgeting more carefully

Europe enters the 2026 summer season with a mixed signal for the tourism market: the desire of travelers from long-haul markets to travel abroad is weakening, however, the European destination itself is holding up better than global long-haul demand in general. The new Long-Haul Travel Barometer 2/2026 from the European Travel Commission and Eurail shows that safety, trip cost, rail accessibility, and the ability to see several countries in one itinerary are becoming key selection factors.

For tourists, this means that planning a trip to Europe in the summer of 2026 is less and less like simply booking a flight ticket to a single capital. Travelers are more often comparing the total cost of the itinerary, looking at layovers, checking rail alternatives, choosing less crowded cities, and trying to get more experience for the same budget. For hotels, airlines, airports, and tourist offices, this is also an important signal: demand exists, but it has become more demanding and price-sensitive.

What the new ETC and Eurail barometer showed

The European Travel Commission and Eurail published the fresh Long-Haul Travel Barometer 2/2026 on June 18. The study analyzes the intentions of travelers from seven key long-haul markets for Europe: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, and the USA. This is not statistics of trips already made, but a snapshot of expectations, plans, and barriers before the summer season, so it should be read as an indicator of sentiment, not as a final arrival forecast.

The main conclusion is cautious: the general desire to make long-haul international trips has decreased by five percentage points and stands at 52%. The intention to visit Europe has also dipped, but more gently: minus three points, to 36%. That is, Europe did not escape the impact of expensive flights, economic caution, and geopolitical uncertainty, but it is losing less than long-haul tourism as a whole.

The difference between markets is significant. China remains the strongest source of future trips to Europe: 63% of respondents there plan a European trip this summer. Brazil follows second with 47%, Canada holds at 40%, and Japan, although from a low base, shows 14%. At the same time, in the USA and South Korea, the intention to travel to Europe is 28%, which the ETC describes as the third consecutive summer softening for both markets. Australia has also decreased noticeably: to 33%, seven points lower.

Why price became the main barrier

The biggest obstacle for those planning a long-haul trip but not choosing Europe remains very practical: cost. Almost 40% of such respondents called a European trip too expensive. This is still a lot, although the influence of this factor, according to the barometer, decreased by nine points compared to the previous year. Other reasons are noticeably weaker: 16% choose alternative destinations, 11% refer to limited vacation duration.

This point is important for travelers from Ukraine and other countries, even if they are not among the seven markets of the study. The European tourism product is becoming more complex in terms of price: airfare, accommodation, local transport, food, insurance, baggage, layovers, and city taxes together form a budget that can differ significantly from the initial ticket price. Therefore, tourists are more often looking for not the cheapest individual flight, but the most stable combination of itinerary, accommodation, and transport.

On routes from Australia, Japan, and South Korea, an additional factor has been longer flights or more expensive tariffs associated with the instability of the airspace in the Middle East. The barometer shows that such concerns exist, but they do not dominate: they were mentioned by about 12% of Australians, 14% of Japanese, and 7% of Koreans. This confirms the cautious conclusion: tourists are not abandoning Europe en masse due to geopolitics, but are more carefully checking routes, connections, and ticket change conditions.

Safety became Europe's competitive advantage

Despite budget pressure, Europe retains one of its strongest advantages: the perception of safety. The report states that the region ranks first among global destinations across all five dimensions of safety measured by the researchers, including political stability, personal safety, tension between tourists and locals, and natural risks.

For 44% of travelers, safety is the main criterion when choosing a European country or city. This is followed by famous landmarks and developed tourist infrastructure. This explains why, even with weaker overall demand, Europe does not lose its basic appeal: for many tourists, it is associated with predictable logistics, clear rules, high-quality transport, medical infrastructure, and a wide choice of itineraries.

At the same time, safety does not mean a lack of planning. If a tourist flies through large hub airports, it is worth checking the flight status and layover time in advance. For routes through France, it is useful to look at information about Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and its online board. For Italy, pages about Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) will be practical, and for Germany — about Frankfurt Airport (FRA), which is often used for connections.

Travelers more often combine several countries

A separate trend of the barometer is the growing interest in multi-country itineraries. Among those planning a trip to Europe, three-quarters want to visit more than one country, and the average number of countries in such a trip approaches four. This is logical for a region where short flights, high-speed trains, buses, and rental cars allow building an itinerary not around one point, but around a theme: culture, gastronomy, big cities, nature, festivals, or family vacation.

Aviation remains important: 47% of travelers named low-cost flights as the most common way of moving between countries. But the railway is quickly strengthening its position. The intention to use a rail pass grew to 42%, and point-to-point train tickets to 40%, in both cases four points more than last year. Good rail connections now influence the choice of destination for 23% of tourists, three points more than last summer.

Practically, this means that the classic "fly in and stay in one city" itinerary is gradually giving way to more flexible schemes. For example, a traveler can arrive via Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), then travel by train to Belgium or Germany, and fly home via London Heathrow (LHR) or Frankfurt. For Spain, convenient hubs remain Madrid-Barajas (MAD) and Barcelona-El Prat (BCN), especially if combining city breaks, the coast, and internal transfers.

Where tourist interest is shifting

Popular countries do not disappear from the top positions. According to the barometer, France remains on the wish list of 39% of long-haul travelers, Italy — 29%, Germany — 25%, the UK — 22%, Spain — 21%. These are clear tourist magnets with huge infrastructure, international airports, strong cultural offerings, and recognizable cities.

But it is important that interest is not limited to traditional destinations. The ETC notes an increase in attention to Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, and Bulgaria. Against the backdrop of more expensive travel, this looks natural: tourists are looking for better value, less crowding, and new experiences. For such itineraries, pages about Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW), Prague Airport (PRG), Budapest Airport (BUD), Zagreb Airport (ZAG) and Sofia Airport (SOF) can be useful.

In the structure of interests, culture and history win, followed by city life, gastronomy, and nature. In spending, travelers also show a change in priorities: food and drinks remain the main category of planned expenses, mentioned by 67% of respondents, while intentions to spend on shopping and accommodation are weakening. At the same time, wellness grew to 20%, suggesting a demand for spas, thermal resorts, slower itineraries, and vacations where not only the list of sights is important, but also recovery.

What this means for tourists in 2026

The first practical conclusion is that booking a trip to Europe should not be based solely on the principle of "where the cheapest flight ticket is." If the itinerary covers several countries, it is necessary to compare the full cost: tickets between cities, a night near the airport, transfer, baggage, insurance, tourist taxes, and the risk of missing a connection. Sometimes a more expensive direct flight or a more convenient hub saves more than the cheapest complex combination.

The second conclusion is that the railway should be considered a full part of the itinerary, not a backup option. If arrival or departure is planned through large hubs, the convenience of ground transport can affect the entire budget. For early departures or late arrivals, it is useful to look at hotels near airports in advance, for example near London Heathrow, Paris CDG or Frankfurt. If arrival in the city with baggage or family is planned, it is worth evaluating transfers, particularly from Vienna Airport, Rome Fiumicino or Madrid-Barajas.

The third conclusion is that smaller and alternative destinations can be more beneficial not only in terms of price, but also in terms of quality of experience. If the main goal is culture, gastronomy, or historical cities, it is not necessary to limit oneself to Paris, Rome, or Barcelona. Central Europe, the Balkans, second cities of large countries, and itineraries through several neighboring states can provide more space, lower load and better alignment with the budget.

What this means for the tourism market

For European destinations, the new barometer is not a reason for complacency, but a hint of where to strengthen competitiveness. Safety remains a strong advantage, but reputation alone is no longer enough. Tourists want to see a clear price, reliable logistics, transparent cancellation conditions, good rail connections, convenient airports, and offers outside the most obvious tourist zones.

Airlines and airports must take into account that the long-haul tourist in 2026 often plans not one point, but a network of movements. This increases the importance of a stable schedule, online boards, clear information about delays, baggage, and connections. Hotels and tour operators will have to better explain the value: why exactly this location, this district, this format of accommodation, or this itinerary justifies the costs.

For the travelers themselves, the main advice is simple: Europe remains a strong and relatively reliable destination for the summer of 2026, but the best result will be achieved by those who plan flexibly. It is worth combining air and rail, checking several entry and exit cities, allowing extra time for layovers, and comparing not only tariffs, but the full logistics of the trip. This is how one can take advantage of the main advantage of Europe: a large number of different countries, cities, and vacation formats on a compact territory.

Thus, the new ETC/Eurail barometer does not speak of a crisis in European tourism. It shows a more mature and demanding demand. Tourists are not abandoning Europe, but want to clearly understand what they are paying for, how safe the trip will be, and whether they can see more without unnecessary risk to the budget. For the market, this is a challenge, and for attentive travelers, a chance to plan a stronger itinerary.