- Half of respondents intend to take an overseas trip from September to December 2026.
- Intention to visit Europe fell from 38pc to 34pc.
- Confirmed flight bookings to Europe remain stable at 17pc.
- China remains highest-volume market at 54pc while Japan is lowest at 12pc.
- High travel costs remain the primary barrier cited by 44pc.
The European Travel Commission and Interrail have released the Long-Haul Travel Barometer 3/2026 outlining a cautious outlook for long-haul travel to Europe from September to December 2026. Half of all surveyed respondents intend to take an overseas trip during this period down from 55pc last year. Intention to visit Europe specifically fell from 38pc to 34pc.
Europe maintains its share of the market accounting for two-thirds of overall long-haul travel intentions. Confirmed flight bookings to Europe remain stable at 17pc across all respondents meaning 52pc of intenders have already booked their flights up from 42pc last autumn. China remains the highest-volume market at 54pc while Japan records the lowest interest at 12pc.
Over half of autumn long-haul visitors to Europe will be travelling to the region for the first time peaking at 61pc for Chinese visitors and 57pc for US visitors. Only 34pc plan to visit a single European country while 66pc plan multi-country trips averaging 2.7 countries. Southern and Mediterranean Europe are favoured by 67pc of travellers. High travel costs remain the primary barrier cited by 44pc of respondents.
