US to Europe resilient travel demand

There is a lot of geopolitical turbulence but that is not expected to dampen demand from the US to Europe which is forecast to continue to grow albeit at a slower pace as the post pandemic boom recalibrates.

According to the NTTO, YTD Jan-Sept 2025 data for US outbound departures to Europe is outperforming overall travel demand, growing at 5% with Europe by far the most popular destination ahead of the Caribbean. There is also a trend to travelling outside peak season due to price consciousness as well as possible concerns about over-crowding in hot spot destinations.

The US is the largest long haul source market for Europe, recording 44.1 million arrivals in 2025 according to Tourism Economics/ETC. Over the long term, Europe’s share is expected to diminish marginally as US travellers are increasingly interested in exploring further flung destinations in Asia and Oceania in line with expanded route capacity.

Instagram also shows just how popular Europe is as a destination with 75 million hashtags with popular destinations including Italy and France on socials.

US travellers may be concerned about the type of welcome they may receive in Europe following Trump’s recent threat to buy Greenland. However, the relationship between the US and Europe is a love affair that continues, with US travellers drawn to its diverse art, culture, food and heritage along with the diaspora effect with strong friends and family connections.

One stumbling block that will disrupt seamless travel is the new EU Entry and Exit System (EES), yet the US are used to this type of entry scheme in their own country so it’s unlikely to have a major impact. With ETIAS being implemented from the end of 2026, this may be off-putting to a small minority.

https://www.trade.gov/us-international-air-travel-statistics-i-92-data

https://etc-corporate.org/european-tourism-key-figures/

https://inflact.com/tools/instagram-hashtag-generator/#/search/