The summer holidays are on the horizon and soon enough we’ll all be complaining of the hottest temperatures since records began and the noticeable scarcity of air conditioning. But alongside the heat comes another headache: the rising costs of travel.
With soaring jet fuel fears, thousands of flights being cut and airlines quietly passing additional costs onto passengers, many of us will not be forced to think how, and where, we’ll spend our holidays this year.
So, are Europeans abandoning travel plans altogether, or simply learning how to do so slightly differently?
The Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI)’s annual Travel Trends Report 2026 found that the continent continues to attract strong demand globally despite ongoing geopolitical and economic pressures.
Cities such as Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels ranked in the top three among 10 destinations, continuing to record year-on-year growth in the percentage of scheduled seats from international travel. Barcelona, Madrid and Frankfurt also recorded strong gains in inbound travel.
