As everyday life becomes faster, more digital, and less predictable, European travellers are seeking clarity and mental recuperation, and they expect that feeling to guide their journey from the moment they begin planning their holidays until they return home. This is the core message of the DERTOUR Group’s first European Travel Trend Report, released today. This report is based on a survey conducted among 8,000 participants across 13 European countries at the beginning of February and DERTOUR Group’s customer insights from 16 markets.
Travel as an essential in volatile times
Despite rising global instability, travel continues to be one of Europe’s highest spending priorities. With 38% of respondents ranking holidays above other categories such as savings, investments, health, fitness, fashion, or technology, travel serves as a counterbalance to a world that feels demanding and digitally overwhelming. “At a time when life feels more fast-paced and volatile, people are longing for clarity and emotional breathing space,” says Christoph Debus, CEO of DERTOUR Group. “Travel is no longer about doing more, it’s about feeling better and especially about feeling safe. Our report shows that Europeans want holidays that help them unwind, find balance, and reconnect with themselves and their loved ones.”
This sentiment is echoed throughout the findings:
- Travel motivation: 57.2% of travellers say they travel primarily to relax and recharge, making it the top motivation across all age groups.
- Travel experiences: For 2026, trips focused on relaxation without scheduled activities rank as the preferred type of holiday (34.4% among all travellers). At the same time, nature-based experiences are in high demand.
- Travel booking: Even in how people plan, simplicity and convenience matter, making package holidays a popular choice. Among travellers who choose a package holiday, the leading reason for choosing this type of travel is all‑in‑one booking convenience (38.4%), followed by value for money (36.2%) and reduced planning burden (30.7%).
- Demand for personal points of contact: For today’s travellers, having access to competent support in an emergency is essential. Among respondents who typically use or are interested in personal consultation, 32.1% particularly value the assistance they receive in an emergency.
The need for effortless travel
Across Europe, travellers focus on simplicity and convenience. Package holidays remain highly popular because they make planning easy: of all travellers who opt for package holidays, 38.4% choose them for all‑in‑one convenience, while 30.7% want to reduce planning effort. “Package holidays offer predictability, reassurance and a sense of calm before the trip begins,” explains Christoph Debus. In the UK, nearly one in four travellers always opt for package holidays; in Germany, reliable processes and financial security are particularly valued.
Value for money and safety become a focus
Rising costs, inflation and weaker economies don’t mean people travel less. Instead, travellers are paying closer attention to budgets, and value for money has become one of the strongest planning criteria. For 60.8% of travellers, it is the most important factor when organising their holiday. Beyond price, travellers who choose package holidays increasingly see value in budget security (35%) and clear and predictable pricing (30.1%). Many want to avoid unexpected expenses, and predictable costs make package holidays especially appealing.
At the same time, safety of the destination plays a central role: 36.3% of travellers name it as a key decision factor, reflecting growing awareness of geopolitical instability and extreme weather. This combined focus on financial and physical security is especially evident in Romania, France and Finland. “We expect that the need for safety will continue to increase in the future. We are addressing this with the extensive protection that package holidays offer today, while still providing a high degree of individualisation,” explains Christoph Debus.
Personal advice as an anchor
42.1% of travellers use personal advice to plan their trips. A further 32.1% show an interest in individual advice. What matters most to them is the reassurance of having reliable support to turn to in case of an emergency. The data reflects this emotional need clearly. Out of all respondents who use or are interested in using personal travel advice, 32.1% value personal consultation specifically because someone is there to help in an emergency, while 30.1% appreciate the trust that consultants know the best options, and 29.3% cite the need for a reliable contact person if questions or issues arise. This trend is complemented by 28.9% who simply want to save time, showing how emotional reassurance and practical convenience go hand in hand. “Our guests want to feel supported not only during their trip but already when they book their holidays,” adds Christoph Debus. “The reassurance of having an expert available in uncertain moments has become one of the greatest emotional benefits of personal advice. In the context of the current events in the Middle East in particular, the added value of personal support in times of crisis becomes apparent.”
Why doing less is more: Rest as an itinerary
Rest has become Europe’s strongest travel driver. With 57.2% of travellers citing relaxation and recharging as their primary motivation, holidays increasingly function as a deliberate break from everyday pressures. Finland leads this trend with 67%. At the same time, many travellers prefer itineraries without fixed schedules, with 34.4% prioritising simple, activity-free downtime.
Mental wellbeing reinforces this movement, with 34.2% travelling to reduce stress, especially in Germany, the UK and Romania. A common thread across all countries surveyed is the longing for calm,” comments Christoph Debus. “Across Europe, people want holidays that allow them to breathe again. This is a powerful signal for the entire travel industry and a responsibility we embrace as DERTOUR Group.”
The call of the outdoors
Nature has become a central setting for this new mindset. Nearly one in three travellers cite nature immersion as a key motivation, and 23.2% will prioritise outdoor experiences in 2026. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, natural experiences score particularly high, as travellers increasingly seek environments that help them disconnect, slow down and feel grounded.
“As travel habits in Europe are constantly changing, it is important for us to stay close to what travellers really care about and create travel experiences that meet today’s needs,” summarises Christoph Debus.
Methodology
The European Travel Trend Survey combines DERTOUR Group booking analytics from 16 European markets with an online survey among 8,000 respondents conducted by Appinio between 2-6 February, 2026. The survey includes respondents aged 18 to 65, selected to be nationally representative of the age and gender distribution of each respective country. The survey includes 13 source markets: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, France, and the United Kingdom. The survey covers 1,000 respondents in Germany, France and the UK and 500 in the rest of the markets, ensuring a broad European sample.
You can find the full report here.
Image material: Trendreport
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Photo caption: Sentido Khao Lak
Background:
DERTOUR Group has its head office in Cologne, Germany, and is REWE Group’s travel and tourism division. As one of Europe’s leading travel groups, DERTOUR Group encompasses approximately 200 companies and employs around 15,000 people worldwide. Every year, millions of guests travel with one of the Group’s tour operators or specialists. DERTOUR Group includes tour operators such as DERTOUR, ITS, Meiers Weltreisen, Kuoni, Helvetic Tours, ITS Coop Travel, Billa Reisen, Koning Aap, Apollo, Exim Tours and Fischer, as well as around 2,000 travel agencies (such as DERTOUR, DERPART, Kuoni, Exim, and Fischer, plus franchises and partners), the hotel brands Sentido, Aldiana, and ananea and the online travel agency Prijsvrij Vakanties. The DERTOUR Group also offers on-site support: The company runs an agency network with 71 offices in 31 travel destinations. The staff in the destination agencies assist the guests of the DERTOUR Group from their arrival at their holiday destination until their departure. For more information, go to www.dertour-group.com.