Chinese and Indian tourists flock to Europe as Americans shun continent

Europe is poised for a significant influx of Chinese and Indian tourists this year, set to offset a projected slowdown in growth from American travellers, according to a new survey from the European Travel Commission.

Overall international arrivals to the continent are expected to climb by 6.2 per cent.

This marks the first indication of a tempering in the post-pandemic surge of American travel to Europe, a trend previously bolstered by a robust US dollar and economic resilience across North America.

An earlier study by the industry group highlighted that Americans showed less inclination to travel to Europe in 2026 compared to 2025, citing escalating economic concerns and geopolitical instability as key factors.

While Chinese arrivals to Europe are forecast to soar by 28 per cent compared to 2025, and Indian visitor numbers are predicted to rise by 9 per cent, traveller figures from the Americas are anticipated to grow by a more modest 4.2 per cent.

Data from aviation intelligence platform Cirium further supports this shift, revealing that bookings from Europe to the US between October 7 and the end of January dropped by 14.2 per cent year-on-year, with bookings from the US to Europe also sliding by 7.3 per cent.

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Despite this dip in interest from core American holidaymakers, Europe continues to experience a steady increase in both long-haul visitors and overall spending.

This suggests that tourists still choosing to visit are increasingly focused on high-value experiences, helping to maintain stability within the European travel market.

"Europe continues to stand out as a reliable destination, well-positioned to respond to evolving demand for more flexible travel and experience-led journeys," said Miguel Sanz, head of the European Travel Commission, in a statement.

Travel spending in Europe is set to have risen by 9.7 per cent in 2025, according to the survey.

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That is in line with reports from Europe's major carriers, including Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, of a steady rise in bookings for their premium offerings, while economy cabin bookings for transatlantic travel have fallen.

Air France-KLM reports its full-year results for 2025 on Thursday.