Europe continues to dominate global leisure travel, having captured a third of global leisure travel spending in 2025, new EIR data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows.
The latest figures reveal that global leisure travel spending hit $6.15TN in 2025, up 3.5% year-on-year and accounting for 80.5% of total global travel expenditure. Of this, Europe attracted $2TN, “equivalent to $1 in every $3 spent worldwide on leisure travel,” the WTTC said, highlighting the region’s enduring appeal as travellers embark on this year’s summer holidays.
Southern Europe is largely driving the region’s success, as France, Spain, Italy, and Türkiye “remain among the most sought-after summer destinations globally, benefiting from strong international demand, diverse source markets, world-class tourism offerings and robust connectivity,” the WTTC statement noted.
That trend is likely to continue the WTTC predicts. Leisure spending growth was “resilient” across key destinations in 2025, with France expanding by 3.6%, and Spain by 2.6%. Italy is expected to build on its 2025 growth of 2.2% and move into the lead in 2026, with leisure spending forecast to rise by up to 4.7%.
Spain (+4.3%), Türkiye (+4.1%) and France (+2.6%) are projected to reinforce Southern Europe’s position as a powerhouse of global tourism demand, with part of the region’s strength coming from “demand redirected from other regions,” the WTTC said.
The figures echo findings from the UN World Tourism Barometer earlier in 2026, which positioned Europe as the world’s largest destination region, recording 793 million international tourists and robust performance in Southern Mediterranean Europe (+3%) amid strong visitor spending receipts and export revenues, particularly in France (+9%), Spain (+7%), and Türkiye (+6%).
Notably, UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Alnuwais pointed out at the time, before the war in Iran, that demand remained high despite inflation and geopolitical uncertainty, with the positive trend expected to continue into 2026, as the “global economy is expected to remain steady and destinations still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels fully recover.”
While that prediction for the global economy may not have been entirely accurate, “Europe continues to set the pace for global leisure tourism,” said GloriaGuevara, WTTC President & CEO, commenting on the latest WTTC findings, which she said demonstrate the regional sector’s “strength, diversity and resilience.”She attributed the success of Spain, Italy, France, and Türkiye “to their unique visitor experiences, excellent connectivity and competitive tourism offerings.”
Guevara also called for destinations to “continue investing in infrastructure, connectivity and sustainable tourism management to support future growth and maintain their global competitiveness. The outlook for 2026 shows Europe is well positioned to continue leading global Travel & Tourism.”
