OTAs lead, AI rises and travelers research less: New findings from three key European markets

Europe's leisure travel market is resilient, but the behaviors driving it are shifting in ways that matter. According to Phocuswright’s Europe Consumer Travel Report 2026, travelers across the U.K., France and Germany report doing less research than a year ago, and OTAs have overtaken general search as the primary online resource for planning trip components. AI remains a secondary tool for most travelers, but it's growing quickly across all three markets and gaining particular influence in destination choice. Offline, recommendations from friends and family continue to dominate. Against this backdrop, the nuances separating these three markets are sharpening: cost sensitivity is rising, long-haul appetite is softening and convenience, flexibility and peer influence are reshaping how Europeans plan and book leisure travel.

Key country findings from the study:

U.K. 

• The U.K. remains the most travel-active market by frequency. 
• Air travel is still high at 77%, though slightly down versus 2025, while domestic travel rose to 61% and travel elsewhere in Europe remains strong at 60%. 
• Booking and planning behavior is more convenience-led than in the other markets. “Quick and easy booking process” is much higher in the U.K. Location services also matter more in the U.K. at 31%, compared with 17% in France and 16% in Germany.

France 

• France has the strongest alternative accommodation and road/rail profile. It leads on home/flat rentals at 44%, road trips in own/borrowed cars at 60%, rail at 40%, rental cars at 40%, and stays with friends/relatives at 57%. 
• The biggest year-over-year travel pattern change is destination mix. Domestic destinations fell sharply from 65% to 49%, while other European destinations increased from 37% to 45%.
• France stands out strongly in in-destination behavior. Multi-day tours, guided tours and wellness are higher than the other two markets. 

Germany 

• Germany had the biggest increases in air travel and spend.  
• Germany is the least favorable toward short-term rentals in 2026. Home/flat rental fell from 33% to 26%, while hotel net is 65%, all-inclusive is 25%, and upscale hotels are 27%, supporting more structured/commercial lodging. 

This report is based on an online survey fielded in April 2026 among leisure travelers in the U.K., France and Germany who had taken at least one overnight trip in the past 12 months and played an active role in planning and booking it. It examines how travelers research, choose and book trips, including the roles of digital and offline resources, social media, AI, digital identity and geopolitics in shaping travel behavior and future intent. 

Key questions answered include: 

• What does the average traveler in the U.K., France and Germany look like? How many trips do they take per year, where do they go, for how long, with whom and how much do they spend? 
• How are travel behaviors changing across these three markets, and what differences stand out by country? 
• What resources do travelers use to research, plan and book their trips, and how are OTAs, general search, social media and AI influencing those decisions? 
• What factors matter most when travelers choose destinations, accommodations, flights, packages and in-destination activities? 
• How do booking behaviors differ across major trip components such as air, hotel, car rental and packaged travel? 
• How do travelers view digital identity tools, and what benefits or barriers do they associate with their use in travel? 
• How are geopolitical concerns affecting travel sentiment, especially for long-haul and U.S.-bound travel? 
• What is the outlook for future leisure travel, and what changes, if any, do travelers expect to make to trip frequency, spending, trip length and travel class? 

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