Global summer travel demand remains strong, although travelers are making more deliberate destination choices amid higher airfares, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, according to new data from RateGain Travel Technologies and its subsidiary, Sojern.
The report, based on Sojern’s travel intent data, found that with approximately one-third of summer bookings still to be made, travelers continue to prioritize trips but are delaying some purchasing decisions, particularly hotel bookings.
“This summer is unlike any we’ve seen before,” said Mark Rabe, CEO, Sojern. “The World Cup has driven meaningful demand into host cities in the U.S. and Canada, but its real effect has been to redistribute demand rather than simply amplify it. Hospitality marketers who understand where intent is building—and where it’s softening—will be best placed to capture remaining summer bookings.”
In the U.S., outbound flight bookings are up 13% year-over-year, while hotel searches have declined 16%, suggesting travelers are securing airfare before committing to accommodations.
The report found a significant shift in where Americans are traveling. Flight bookings to Canada have increased 44% year-over-year, aided by its role as a FIFA World Cup host nation, while domestic travel is up 15%, Asia is up 19%, the Caribbean is up 12% and Europe has risen 8%. Mexico, however, has seen a 12% decline in bookings despite remaining the most popular international destination for U.S. travelers.
RateGain also noted that airfares have climbed across multiple regions following escalating conflict in the Middle East. Domestic U.S. fares are up 25% year-over-year, while Central America-to-Central America routes have increased 44%.
The ongoing FIFA World Cup has provided an additional boost to several host markets. According to the company’s FIFA World Cup Index, Houston posted a 10.4% increase in flight demand year-ove- year, followed by New York at 8.8%, Dallas at 8.7%, Toronto at 3.2% and Vancouver at 2.7%. Vancouver’s ADR increased 17.1%.
Not every host city experienced gains, however. Seattle recorded a 20.6% decline in flight demand, while Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey also posted year-over-year decreases.
International demand for World Cup destinations is being led by travelers from the U.K., followed by Brazil, Germany, Japan, Colombia, France and South Korea. Argentina accounted for 2.1% of confirmed bookings but represented 8.2% of travel searches, indicating additional demand could materialize as the tournament progresses.
Elsewhere, Latin America is seeing strong regional travel activity. Domestic flight bookings within the region have climbed 38%, while travel from other Latin American countries is up 16%. European demand has increased 15%, while U.S. demand has remained relatively flat with a 1% increase.
Europe also continues to perform well, driven largely by travelers staying within the region. Domestic flight bookings are up 35%, intra-European travel has increased 37%, and international inbound travel has risen 11%.
Among Europe’s major destinations, Spain posted a 28% increase in flight bookings and a 33% increase in hotel searches. Italy recorded gains of 24% and 30%, respectively, while France saw flight bookings rise 15% and hotel searches increase 11%. Portugal reported 24% growth in both categories. The U.K. experienced an 11% increase in flight bookings, although hotel searches declined 6%.
London remains the leading European destination for travelers from Europe, North America and the Middle East and Africa, while Madrid continues to dominate among Latin American visitors.
The report found the Middle East remains the weakest-performing region for hotel demand. Hotel searches from Western Europe are down 49 percentage points year to date, while searches from South Asia have declined 61 percentage points. In contrast, travel within the Middle East has remained above 2025 levels, and travel from the Middle East to the U.S. has increased, driven in part by World Cup demand.
According to RateGain and Sojern, the combination of resilient demand and a significant number of unbooked summer trips leaves travel suppliers with an opportunity to capture travelers who have not yet finalized their plans.
