Conducted in 26 countries among 26,000 respondents, the 2026 Holiday Barometer was fielded between February 27 and April 7, 2026, in an international environment marked by war and armed conflict. Across all regions covered by the study, these factors weigh more heavily than in 2025 on people’s enthusiasm to travel.
The desire to travel remains strong, but travelers are paying closer attention to their choices
The desire to travel is holding up: nearly 8 in 10 people report being enthusiastic about travelling this year, regardless of the region observed. Alongside this enthusiasm, intentions to travel also remain strong. In Europe, 77% of respondents say they plan to go on holiday this summer. Although this is down 2 points compared with 2025, it still confirms that the desire to travel remains largely dominant. The study also highlights rising travel intentions among travelers from North Asia, India and the Middle East. The geopolitical context is therefore not stopping people from travelling, but it is reshaping their trade-offs. Several trends are emerging across regions. Even if this is not the case everywhere, more travelers now plan to spend their holidays in their own country rather than abroad this summer. This is especially true in India (+18 points) and in the Americas, where travelers predominantly favor predominantly favor domestic holidays, as does Southern Europe, where a majority of respondents say their ideal holidays would take place in their own country. This year, France, Italy and Spain stand out as the world’s preferred destinations.
In a tense geopolitical context, safety is becoming central to travel decisions
The first key finding is that safety is becoming an increasingly structuring criterion in destination choice. Already sharply on the rise last year, this trend is being confirmed globally in 2026. In Europe, 30% of respondents cite safety among the reasons for choosing a destination, up from 28% in 2025. In North Asia, the figure reaches 37%, versus 34% a year earlier. Safety has now become the leading destination-choice criterion in North Asia, where it reaches 37%, as well as in India (37%) and North America (32%).
This heightened sensitivity to security issues also appears to be reflected in travelers’ geographic trade-offs. The study highlights a marked decline in Asia as a destination region, particularly in Europe, where it is now cited by just 7% of respondents, down 8 points. The same trend can be seen in the Middle East, cited by 71% of respondents, down 13 points, as well as for North America, at 11%, down 12 points. These shifts most likely reflect the direct impact of tensions in the Middle East, particularly the conflict in Iran, as well as the disruption affecting several major Gulf airport hubs. While financial considerations remain the main barrier to travel, concerns related to safety and security are rising sharply: they have increased significantly in Europe, North America, Oceania and the Middle East among the reasons given for not travelling. Finally, armed conflicts in the Middle East appear to have affected some travelers’ appetite for the region: the United Arab Emirates have entered the list of countries travelers say they may avoid because of the political climate, alongside the United States, which now appears to be firmly established on that list.
AI in travel: a clear divide between early adopters and more cautious markets
Another major finding of this year’s edition is that the rise of artificial intelligence in travel is not following a uniform path. Instead, it is creating a two-speed travel landscape. On one side, Asia, India, and the Middle East are emerging as the most advanced regions, where AI has already become deeply embedded in trip planning. On the other, Europe, as well as North America and Oceania, remain significantly more cautious. Across all regions and countries covered by the study, the use of AI tools to prepare or book holidays is increasing compared with 2025, but the gaps are widening. In Europe, around one in four respondents say they have already used AI to prepare a trip, while a majority have already done so in India (69%, +18 points), the United Arab Emirates (60%, +14 points), Malaysia (54%, +17 points), and Saudi Arabia (54%, +14 points). By contrast, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada rank among the lowest users, at 19% each. This divide also extends to future use. In India, 79% of respondents, and in the Middle East, 70%, say they would consider relying exclusively on AI to plan their leisure trips, compared with just 26% in Western Europe. While this rapid growth confirms that AI is becoming a lasting part of the travelers’ journey, it also reveals two very distinct approaches: in some regions, AI is already seen as a natural driver of autonomy and efficiency; in others, it continues to face a strong preference for human interaction and a marked reluctance to delegate the final decision.
Key figures
Travel intentions remain strong and undiminished, even as security considerations increasingly influence travel decisions.
• Up to 8 in 10 respondents worldwide say they are enthusiastic about traveling this year. Following record levels last year, travel intentions have stabilized at a high level in 2026, remaining well above those observed in 2022 and 2023.
• This confirms that the peak reached last year is holding firm despite an unstable global geopolitical context, and despite the cost of living remaining a top global concern, with almost half of European travelers planning to increase their holiday budget compared to last year.
• A new reality is nonetheless taking shape in travel decisionmaking. In Europe, 30% of respondents cite security among the reasons for choosing a destination. Security has now become the leading destination-choice criterion in North America (32%) and in North Asia (37%).
• United Arab Emirates enters the top 5 destination that travelers could give up due to political climate. Asia is losing ground as a destination region among Europeans, where it is now cited by just 7% of respondents, down 8 points and the same trend can be seen for North America, at 11%, down 12 points. These developments most likely reflect the direct impact of tensions in the Middle East, particularly the conflict in Iran, as well as disruptions affecting several major Gulf airport hubs.
Artificial intelligence is reaching a new threshold in travel planning, with adoption accelerating across all markets, confirming its growing role in travel planning globally
• In India, around seven in ten respondents say they have already used AI to prepare a trip (69% versus 51% in 2025), in the United Arab Emirates 60% (versus 46%), Malaysia 54% (versus 37%) and Saudi Arabia 54% (versus 40%) but levels are significantly lower in Europe 24% (versus 16% in 2025) and North America (24% versus 19% in 2025)
• This dynamic is also visible in future uses: 79% of respondents in India and 70% in the Middle East say they would consider relying exclusively on AI to plan their trips, compared with just 26% in Western Europe and 27% in Oceania.
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Katya Skorik
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