European travel demand to the United States is showing signs of recovery in 2026, but the rebound is not a simple return to the old inbound tourism playbook. New research from The Data Appeal Company and Phocuswright suggests that travelers from Europe are still interested in the U.S., yet they are planning more selectively, watching value more closely and looking beyond the best-known urban gateways for nature, road trips, food and more distinctive American experiences.
For the U.S. travel market, that is an important shift. European visitors are a high-value long-haul audience for airlines, hotels, attractions, rental car companies, destination marketers and package sellers. If demand is coming back after a weaker 2025, the opportunity is real. But the research also shows that U.S. destinations cannot assume that brand familiarity alone will be enough to convert cautious travelers into bookings.
What the new research shows
The white paper, The Evolution of European Demand to the U.S.: Understanding Shifting Travel Patterns, was developed by Data Appeal through its Mabrian tourism division in collaboration with Phocuswright. It analyzes European demand for U.S. travel from 2023 through 2025, with early signals for 2026, using flight bookings, destination trends, arrival airports, traveler profiles, accommodation preferences, demand drivers and perception indicators from EU28 countries.
The headline is mixed but encouraging. Data Appeal says flight bookings from EU28 countries for travel in 2026, made at least six months in advance and recorded through April, were up 11% year over year. That follows a 4% decline in 2025 compared with 2024. In plain terms, Europe-to-U.S. demand appears to be recovering, but from a softer base and with more sensitivity around price, safety perception and trip quality.
The report also points to a shorter and more reactive planning pattern than in 2025. That matters for U.S. suppliers because late demand can be valuable but harder to forecast. Hotels, tour operators and destination marketing organizations may need to keep offers flexible, sharpen conversion messaging and make it easier for travelers to compare practical details such as airport access, transportation, cancellation rules and total trip cost.
Why this matters for U.S. destinations
International inbound travel remains a major economic pillar for the United States. The National Travel and Tourism Office previously forecast that international visitation to the U.S. would reach 85 million in 2026, surpassing the pre-pandemic 2019 level of 79.4 million. Separately, newly released 2025 Survey of International Air Travelers results reported 34.3 million overseas air visitor arrivals to the U.S. last year, with the United Kingdom as the largest overseas source market at 4.1 million visitors and Germany also among the top five at 1.8 million.
Those numbers explain why even a modest change in European behavior can ripple through the American travel economy. A traveler who once defaulted to New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami Beach or San Francisco may still arrive through a major gateway, but may now build a trip around national parks, smaller cities, coastal routes or self-drive itineraries. That changes where room nights land, where rental car demand rises, which airports benefit from onward connections and what kind of packaged products are easiest to sell.
Major gateways are still central to the market. Travelers planning U.S. trips through New York can compare flights through John F. Kennedy International Airport, while West Coast itineraries often begin at Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport. Florida remains especially important for European visitors, with Orlando and Miami positioned for both theme-park and coastal itineraries; travelers can review options for Orlando International Airport and Miami International Airport.
Nature, road trips and experiences gain ground
The report says culture remains the leading motivation for European travel to the U.S., accounting for 31.9% of motivations in 2025, but that share has slipped since 2023. Meanwhile, active tourism has shown consistent growth and reached 17.2% of travel motivations, while nature represented 17%.
That is a meaningful signal for the U.S. market. European visitors are not only looking for the classic city break or shopping-heavy itinerary. They are increasingly drawn to active and nature-based trips tied to national parks, iconic landscapes and road-trip circuits. Data Appeal highlighted places such as Death Valley, Tusayan and Sedona near the Grand Canyon, West Yellowstone and Cody, Wyoming, as examples of destinations connected to this changing demand.
For travel advisors and package sellers, the practical takeaway is to pair big gateways with stronger regional products. A Los Angeles arrival can become a California desert or Southwest road trip. A Las Vegas stay can connect to national parks and canyon country. Denver and Salt Lake City can serve as entry points for mountain and outdoor itineraries, with travelers often needing airport car rental rather than only city transfers. Odyssey readers planning those routes can compare car rental at Denver International Airport or car rental at Salt Lake City International Airport when building self-drive plans.
Perception is becoming a competitive issue
The same research also carries a warning. Data Appeal found that European perception indicators for the U.S. improved between 2023 and 2025, including a stronger security perception score in 2025. But year-to-date 2026 indicators slipped compared with the same period in 2025. The Global Tourist Perception Index declined by 1.5 points to 56.6 out of 100, while the Perception of Security Index dipped by 0.7 points to 81.1.
That does not mean Europeans are abandoning U.S. trips. The booking rebound suggests the opposite. But it does mean the U.S. is competing in a more sensitive environment. High airfares, exchange-rate concerns, political noise, safety perceptions and the cost of hotels, meals and ground transportation can all influence whether a long-haul traveler chooses the United States or another destination.
For U.S. destinations, the response should be practical rather than defensive. Visitors need clearer value propositions, better pre-arrival information and more reliable end-to-end trip planning. That includes transparent airport transfer options, realistic drive times, stronger regional itinerary design, flexible booking terms and experience-led products that feel worth the long-haul investment.
What travelers and travel businesses should do now
For European travelers, the best strategy is to treat the U.S. as a trip that benefits from careful logistics, especially when combining major cities with parks, beaches or secondary destinations. Airport choice matters, and so does the decision between rail, transfers, rideshare and car rental. A family flying into Miami for beaches and theme parks may need a different plan than a couple arriving in San Francisco for wine country, national parks and coastal driving.
For U.S. travel businesses, the message is equally clear: Europe is not a lost market, but it is a more selective one. Products that combine gateway access, authentic regional experiences, outdoor travel, food, culture and clear budgeting are likely to be better aligned with where demand is moving in 2026.
The U.S. still has the scale, air connectivity and variety to capture European long-haul demand. The difference now is that visitors appear less willing to buy the idea of America in the abstract. They want a trip that feels specific, well organized and worth the cost. That makes itinerary design, destination storytelling and on-the-ground reliability more important than ever.