Key Takeaways
- North America ranks No. 2 worldwide for summer travel-demand growth in 2026, behind Southern Europe
- New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando are among the U.S. cities seeing the strongest international travel interest
- Eastern Asia still holds the largest overall share of global travel intent at 14.41%, despite declining from last summer
North America has ranked second in the world for summer travel demand growth in 2026, a new study revealed.
Trailing only Southern Europe, America secured the No. 2 spot, with the help of several major metropolitan cities, according to data analyzed by The Data Appeal Company / Almaviva Group.
New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Orlando are among the destinations drawing some of the highest levels of international interest for summer 2026.
“North America’s strong performance is being supported by robust global air connectivity, growing demand linked to major international sporting events, including FIFA-related travel, and the enduring appeal of the region among international travelers,” Maria Pradissitto, North America’s market manager at Data Appeal, said in the report.
The findings also revealed sustained demand across key routes serving the East Coast, West Coast and Southern United States.
Overall, North America accounts for more than eight percent of global international travel intent between June and August, up 1.01 percentage points compared to the same period in 2025 — one of the strongest growth performances among all world regions.
Canada is also showing strong momentum, with Vancouver and Calgary leading the growth among Canadian destinations.
Eastern Asia leads global travel intent
The North America gains are part of a broader reshuffling of summer travel demand.
Southern Europe is still the clear leader for growth, capturing more than 11 percent of global international travel intent for summer 2026. Athens leads Southern European destinations, capturing 0.77 percent of global travel intent and gaining a significant +0.23 percentage points year-on-year — the largest increase recorded by a destination.
Eastern Asia still holds the largest overall share of global travel intent at 14.41 percent, but that is down 1.67 percentage points from last summer.
At the same time, Western Asia posted the steepest decline worldwide, falling 2.69 percentage points as geopolitical tensions continue to affect travel patterns.
That is up 2.47 percentage points from last year, driven largely by demand for Greece, Spain, and Italy.
Latin America and the Caribbean are also gaining ground, accounting for 3.38 percent of global travel intent and rising 0.72 percentage points year over year.
Peru, Brazil and Mexico led the region’s growth, while Puerto Rico, Aruba and Guatemala also showed strength across beach, city and cultural travel demand.
“Summer travel intent data suggests that, as air connectivity and flight corridors are disrupted by rerouting, higher costs and geopolitical uncertainty, long-haul demand is naturally reorganising towards destinations that feel closer, more familiar and more accessible,” said Carlos Cendra, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Data Appeal.
According to Cendra, this helps explain “the positive outlook for destinations gaining travel intent, particularly in Southern Europe, as well as the resilience of Asian regions,” despite the decline in overall demand to Eastern and Western Asia, which continue to be supported by substantial intercontinental and regional travel flows.
