Europe Welcomes Half the World’s Travelers. Can It Keep Up?
With international arrivals forecast to reach 1.14 billion by 2036, WTTC calls for better transport, stronger staffing, and smarter destination management.
Photo: Patricia Jekki / Unsplash
Europe is forecast to welcome more than a billion international arrivals annually by 2036, putting fresh pressure on destinations already contending with crowding, staffing shortages, and climate risks. A new report from the World Travel & Tourism Council urges governments to prepare now with easier visa procedures, stronger transport connections, and investment that helps tourism growth benefit local communities.
Released this week at the organization’s Global Summit in Valletta, Malta, Travel & Tourism in Europe: A Deep Dive Into Growth, Outlook and Policy examines the region’s tourism economy and its prospects through 2036. An accompanying policy agenda identifies eight priorities, ranging from attracting more long-haul travelers to addressing workforce shortages and helping tourism businesses adopt artificial intelligence.
For travel advisors and their clients, the recommendations address practical concerns like navigating borders, moving between destinations, finding alternatives to crowded hotspots, and ensuring hotels and other suppliers can deliver consistent service as demand grows.
“Europe already welcomes almost half of the world’s international travellers,” said Gloria Guevara, WTTC’s president and CEO. “As global travel keeps growing, Europe is well placed to extend that leadership, and the choices governments make now will decide how much of that growth comes here.”
Travel and tourism contributed almost $3 trillion to Europe’s GDP in 2025, representing 9.4% of the regional economy and supporting 40.7 million jobs. WTTC forecasts 3.1% sector growth in 2026, compared with 1.1% for the wider European economy. Europe also welcomed 757.3 million international overnight arrivals in 2025, accounting for 49.1% of the global total. International visitors spent $835 billion, or 41% of worldwide spending by international visitors.
Yet Europe’s customer base remains largely regional: 74.3% of international arrivals came from elsewhere in Europe. Arrivals from Asia-Pacific were still 4.8% below 2019 levels, with China down 43.2% and Japan and South Korea each roughly 30% below their pre-pandemic figures.
WTTC wants destinations to develop public-private marketing partnerships in long-haul markets, maintain stable promotion budgets, and pair campaigns with easier visa access. “Our research shows where policy can make the greatest difference: faster digital visas, more visitors from beyond Europe, stronger investment and a skilled workforce,” Guevara said.
On entry procedures, WTTC recommends accelerating digital Schengen visas, expanding multiple-entry visas, and establishing an EU-wide trusted traveler scheme with reciprocal recognition of programs such as U.S. Global Entry. (Schengen states issued 5.3 million multiple-entry visas in 2025, 40% fewer than in 2019.)
Transport is another priority. WTTC calls for stronger air, rail, maritime and road connections, including to islands, rural areas, and peripheral regions. Integrated ticketing and accessible booking platforms could simplify multi-mode journeys while helping destinations attract visitors beyond their busiest gateways.
International arrivals are forecast to reach 1.14 billion by 2036. WTTC recommends judging tourism’s success by the value it delivers to communities, alongside visitor numbers, and coordinating destination planning with housing, transport, and local services.
Climate resilience is particularly pressing around the Mediterranean, whose destinations captured 52.2% of Europe’s international visitor spending in 2025. The region’s exposure to heat and water stress makes investment in adaptation, water and waste management, and nature protection a priority. WTTC also advocates greater uptake of sustainable aviation and maritime fuels and improvements to physical and digital accessibility.
Workforce shortages present another challenge. By 2035, tourism labor supply in Germany and Greece is projected to fall 26% and 27% short of demand, respectively. Recommendations include stronger apprenticeship pathways, expanded training, greater recognition of hospitality qualifications, and improved opportunities for workers to move between markets.
Investment has also lagged: Europe’s tourism sector attracted $259 billion in 2025, up 7.1% year over year but still 3.6% below 2019. WTTC is seeking dedicated access to EU investment instruments through the bloc’s 2028–2034 budget.
The agenda arrives as the European Commission prepares its first dedicated tourism strategy. WTTC forecasts that tourism will contribute $ 3.8 trillion to Europe’s GDP by 2036, supporting more than 50 million jobs. Its central policy challenge is ensuring destinations have the infrastructure, workforce, and resources to accommodate that growth while preserving the experiences travelers come to enjoy.
