More tourists are visiting several European countries this year, with Eastern and Southern destinations seeing noticeable growth. According to the UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer, around 350 million international visitors traveled to Europe in the first half of 2026. This pushed overall European tourist arrivals up by 3%, making Europe one of the strongest regions for tourism growth alongside Africa.
Growth was particularly strong in specific European nations. Moldova recorded the biggest increase in Europe, with tourist arrivals jumping by 25% compared to last year. Meanwhile, both Greece and Ireland experienced a 15% rise in visitors. Overall, Southern Mediterranean Europe and Central Eastern Europe each grew by 4%, while Northern Europe grew by 3%.
However, tourism trends were not the same everywhere across the continent. Western Europe saw a 1% decline in arrivals, which experts partly blame on severe heatwaves in June and weaker demand from long-distance travelers. Additionally, ongoing conflict in the Middle East—where arrivals fell by 22%—has shifted international travel patterns. UN Tourism noted that these global disruptions have encouraged travelers to choose closer and more accessible destinations instead.
As a result of global uncertainty and shifting travel habits, overall international tourism growth is expected to be lower than previously predicted. UN Tourism forecasts global tourist arrivals will increase by 1% to 2% for the full year of 2026, down from an earlier forecast of 3% to 4%.