Europe captures one-third of global leisure travel spend

New figures from the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2026 Economic Impact Research show that global leisure travel spending reached $6.15 trillion in 2025 – up 3.5% year on year and accounting for 80.5% of total travel expenditure worldwide.

Europe accounted for $2 trillion of that global total, bolstered by strong international demand and sustained seasonal performance.

Southern European destinations continued to drive the region’s growth. In 2025, leisure spending grew by 3.6% in France, 2.6% in Spain and 2.2% in Italy.

Looking ahead, Europe’s leisure travel spending is forecast to expand by 3.7% in 2026, outpacing the projected global average growth rate of 3.1%.

Italy is set to lead growth in Europe next year with a projected 4.7% rise in leisure expenditure, followed by Spain (+4.3%), Turkey (+4.1%), and France (+2.6%).

WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara said: “With summer travel at its peak, Europe continues to set the pace for global leisure tourism, capturing one-third of all spending worldwide and demonstrating the strength, diversity and resilience of its tourism sector.

“Southern Europe remains the engine of this growth. Destinations such as Spain, Italy, France and Turkey continue to attract strong international demand thanks to their unique visitor experiences, excellent connectivity and competitive tourism offerings.”

Guevara added that destinations must continue investing in infrastructure, connectivity, and sustainable management to support future expansion and maintain competitiveness heading into 2026.

The research was produced in partnership with Oxford Economics, with Chase Travel acting as lead research partner.