Europe captured one-third of global leisure travel spending in 2025; Southern Europe drove the summer surge

# What the numbers say The World Travel & Tourism Council's 2026 EIR data (sponsored by Chase Travel) shows leisure travel accounted for the vast majority of travel spending in 2025. Global leisure spending reached $6.15 trillion, a 3.5% increase year-on-year, and made up 80.5% of total travel expenditure.

Europe attracted $2.0 trillion of that total — roughly one in every three dollars spent on leisure travel worldwide. That concentration underlines Europe's current pull for holiday travellers during the peak summer season.

# Which European markets led demand Southern Europe dominated the summer season. France, Spain, Italy and Türkiye were singled out as the most sought-after destinations, supported by strong international demand, varied source markets and robust connectivity.

Measured growth in 2025 among those markets was positive across the board: France grew leisure spending by 3.6%, Spain by 2.6% and Italy by 2.2%.

# Outlook for 2026 Europe's momentum to continue into 2026, forecasting a 3.7% increase in leisure spending for the region versus a 3.1% global average. Country-level forecasts for 2026 include:

• Italy: +4.7% leisure spending
• Spain: +4.3%
• Türkiye: +4.1%
• France: +2.6%

# Europe is performing well The report highlights several practical drivers behind the performance: established tourism offerings, wide international source markets, strong transport connectivity and diverse visitor experiences. These operational factors combine to keep demand high during peak holiday months.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, framed the data in operational terms: with millions travelling across the continent, destinations need continued investment in infrastructure, connectivity and sustainable tourism management to support ongoing growth and competitiveness.

# What this means for industry stakeholders Operators, destination managers and policy makers should read the figures as confirmation that demand is concentrated and predictable in Southern Europe for now. Short-term implications include sustained visitor volumes during summer seasons and likely pressure on capacity, while the medium-term outlook points toward steady demand growth driven by source-market diversification and connectivity.

Practical takeaways for those managing tourism assets include prioritizing transport links, layered source-market marketing, and investments that manage seasonal peaks without degrading visitor experience.

# Bottom line Europe remains the world's leading leisure travel region by spending, with Southern Europe the primary growth engine. The WTTC data projects continued above-average growth in 2026 for several Southern European markets, driven by established tourism assets and shifting global demand patterns.