Marketplace · Friday, September 4, 2026
Americans are making significantly more trips abroad, particularly to Europe, with international travel becoming a lifestyle choice rather than just a post-pandemic trend. This surge is attributed to increased affordability, easier booking platforms, and a shift in priorities for younger generations.
“Americans made 6 million more trips to Europe in 2025 than in 2019, which means this isn't just some post-pandemic yolo thing anymore. For some people with the resources, international travel is now a way of life.”
“It's huge now. So if we just look at, you know, Americans visiting Europe, it was 24 million trips to Europe last year, and you know, flying has been getting cheaper. As we said, it's been getting easier to do with, you know, the surge in, you know, online booking platforms, Airbnb, things like that.”
“On one hand, you have boomers who have gotten a lot wealthier, and then you also see a lot of young people. They see travel as a necessity for them. So, you know, buying a house is out of reach for a lot of younger people. So travel has kind of filled that void for a lot of people.”