Europe Takes One Third of Global Holiday Spending: Turkey Expected to Grow by 4.1% in 2026

Europe continues to take the largest share of the global leisure travel economy. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2026 Economic Impact Research, holiday travel spending worldwide reached $6.15 trillion in 2025. Approximately $2 trillion of this occurred in Europe; in other words, about one third of global leisure spending was directed towards European destinations.

WTTC data also shows the weight of holiday travel in the overall tourism economy. Leisure spending grew by 3.5% annually in 2025 and accounted for 80.5% of total travel spending worldwide.

From StaffMag's perspective, the most noteworthy part is Southern Europe.

WTTC forecasts that leisure travel spending in Europe will increase by 3.7% in 2026. This rate is above the global growth forecast of 3.1%. By country, growth is expected to be 4.7% for Italy, 4.3% for Spain, 4.1% for Turkey, and 2.6% for France.

Turkey is one of the standout markets in Southern European growth

In WTTC’s forecast, Turkey follows closely behind Italy and Spain. This indicates that the country has growth potential not only in visitor numbers but also in leisure spending.

However, the 4.1% growth forecast is not a guaranteed outcome.

WTTC clearly states that its 2026 forecasts are based on assumptions regarding current economic and geopolitical conditions, inflation, energy prices, consumer demand, and regional developments. If conditions change, projections may also change.

This distinction is important for businesses in Turkey.

The strong tourism spending expectation could create revenue opportunities for hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses; however, high nominal spending does not necessarily mean high profits. If labor, energy, food, financing, and distribution costs also rise during the same period, while business turnover increases, margin pressure may continue.

France, Spain, and Italy continued to grow in 2025

WTTC data shows that Southern and Western Europe remained strong in 2025 as well. Leisure spending grew by 3.6% in France, 2.6% in Spain, and 2.2% in Italy.

The common advantage of these countries is not only strong brand awareness.

High air connectivity, accommodation supply in different price segments, the ability to offer city and beach tourism together, and creating various reasons for visits throughout the year diversify demand.

WTTC also highlights Spain, Italy, France, and Turkey as destinations that stand out for strong international demand, a wide variety of source markets, and connectivity capacity. This assessment is WTTC's own sector commentary.

Summer intensity is not always an advantage for operators

The high summer demand in Southern Europe can generate strong turnover for hotels and F&B businesses. However, the peak season has its own operational costs.

When occupancy suddenly rises, the need for staff increases. The capacity of housekeeping, kitchen, service, and technical teams is strained. Supply orders grow. Energy consumption rises. Tolerance for errors decreases.

Therefore, "more tourists" does not equate to "healthier operations".

The business must monitor the following indicators together throughout the season: net income per room or table, employee cost as a percentage of sales, overtime, waste, F&B spending per guest, and service quality changes due to intensity.

Especially in resort and beach destinations, the high season determines a significant portion of the annual result in just a few months, making capacity planning directly related to profitability planning.

Why is Europe so strong in travel spending?

WTTC’s $2 trillion European leisure spending data reflects the continent's diversity in global tourism. Europe does not offer a single tourism product; city tourism, beach, gastronomy, culture, events, wellness, and nature travel coexist in different price segments within the same region.

Mastercard Economics Institute’s 2026 travel research also indicates that travelers are changing their destinations, timing, and budgets instead of completely giving up on travel due to uncertainty. Europe’s strong transportation network and destination diversity facilitate adapting to this behavior.

This situation also presents an opportunity for Turkey.

Price-sensitive European consumers may shift to more affordable alternatives instead of completely abandoning an expensive destination. However, how much of this will translate into additional demand for Turkey cannot be determined solely from the current WTTC data.

Turning spending into business revenue is another matter

When total leisure spending coming to the country grows, it should not be expected that this revenue will be evenly distributed among hotels and restaurants.

Large resorts, city hotels, independent boutique establishments, and restaurants do not receive the same share from the same tourist profile. Distribution channel, price segment, location, length of stay, and how much the guest spends within the facility all affect the outcomes.

Especially for hotels, alongside RevPAR or occupancy, indicators such as TRevPAR, F&B revenue, and total spending per guest become more meaningful.

If a tourist arrives at the destination but spends most of their money outside the facility, the hotel’s share of the total tourism growth may remain limited.

Sustainability pressure is also increasing for Southern Europe

WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara emphasizes that investment in infrastructure, connectivity, and sustainable tourism management is necessary to maintain strong demand.

This warning is particularly important for Southern European destinations that experience high tourist numbers concentrated in the same areas and months; this can create pressure on water usage, transportation, waste, employee accommodation, and local infrastructure.

Therefore, in the upcoming period, success may not only be about attracting more visitors but also about distributing demand more evenly across seasons and geographies.

Stafflink's view

In our opinion, the main question regarding the expected 4.1% growth in leisure spending for Turkey is not "will tourism grow?" but rather how much of this growth will translate into profit at the business level.

High season demand may be strong. However, if businesses are simultaneously facing staff shortages, energy costs, supply pressures, and high distribution commissions, additional revenue may not reflect in margins at the same rate.

Turkey’s advantages include a strong resort infrastructure, a wide variety of products, and proximity to Europe. The long-term difference will be determined more by value per guest, length of season, and operational efficiency than by visitor numbers.