Spring/Summer2026 TravelPulse In 2026, travel demand isn’t the problem. Converting it is. The new eraof travel The path to booking has grown more complex. Economicpressure, geopolitical tensions, and regional disruptions arereshaping where people go and how they decide. Today’s travelers rarely move in straight lines. They compare moreand hesitate longer. They move across channels, revisitdecisions, and weigh trade-offs with greater scrutiny. The result isa more deliberate, but far less predictable, path to purchase. Insights on behaviors, budgets, and booking trends Drawing on data from hundreds of travel providers, alongsideinsights from more than 14,000 consumers worldwide, this reportunpacks what’s shaping traveler behavior now, and what it takesto turn intent into bookings in an increasingly fragmentedlandscape. BookingBehavioralShifts The State ofTravelDemand Today’sTraveler Budgets MeetBucket List 03 02 01 04 01 The State ofTravel Demand Travelers are back, butdeliberate in how they book In Q1 2026, global travel demand increased, with traffic up acrossmost segments. This supported gains in bookings and revenue, drivenprimarily by air performance. However, conversion rates declined, with the steepest drops in OTAs(-7%). At the same time, average order value remained flat or negative,pointing to continued pressure on monetization despite risingdemand. More travelers are exploringoptions online In Q1 2026, online traffic increased +8% YoY, driven primarily by airdemand. The Americas led growth, with air traffic up +20%, alongsidegains in hotel and OTAs. Regional performance diverged elsewhere: APAC experienced a 17%drop in air traffic, offset by continued growth in OTA and hotel, whileEMEA remained mixed, with modest OTA gains despite declines inother segments. Conversion softens acrosstravelcategories, with air more resilient Conversion rates declined across mosttravel categoriesand regionsin Q1 2026, with OTAs seeing the steepest drop (down of 12% in theAmericas and-10% in APAC). Hotel followed a similar trend to OTAs. Air remained more resilient, with slight gains globally and strongerperformance in APAC. Travel demand is growing, ledby air in the Americas In Q1 2026, air bookings increased +8% globally, driven by stronggrowth in the Americas (+17%). In contrast, APAC saw declines (-12%), while EMEA remained slightly negative. Hotel and OTA bookings showed more limited and uneven growthacross regions, reinforcing the concentration of demand in air andcontinued reliance on key markets to drive overall performance. Travel revenue is rising, butunevenly across categories Global travel revenue increased +10% YoY in Q1 2026, led by strongair performance in the Americas (+19%). In contrast, EMEA and APACdeclined across most segments, pointing to uneven regional demand. Hotel and OTA revenues are underperforming globally, reinforcing theconcentration of revenue growth in air. Spending per trip remainsstable despite shifting demand In Q1 2026, global average order value remains relatively stable, withmost segments remaining flat or negative. Air stands out with growth across regions, particularly in APAC (+9%),while hotel and OTA AOVs decline in most markets, especially in theAmericas and APAC. Travelers continue to show stronginterest in air travel but bookingbehavior varies Global air traffic shows consistent growth throughout the period,reaching a peak of over +20% YoY in later weeks. Bookings, however, are more volatile, with fluctuations and declinesin several weeks toward the end of the period. This divergencesuggests sustained demand, but inconsistent conversion intobookings. In the Americas, air demand isoutpacing bookings Air travel in the Americas shows sustained growth, with trafficconsistently rising and reaching mid-20% YoY growth in the laterweeks. In contrast, bookings trend lower over the same period, with growthmoderating and becoming more variable, pointing to a widening gapbetweentravelerinterest and completed bookings. In EMEA, air demand is risingbut not translating to bookings Air traffic in EMEA shows strong growth, with a peak exceeding +40%YoY in later weeks. However, bookings remain inconsistent, with several weeks dippinginto negative levels, highlighting a persistent gap between risinginterest and completed bookings. In APAC, hotel demandstrengthens but conversionremains modest Hotel traffic in APAC increases over the period, with a late spikenearing +30% YoY. In contrast, bookings remain low and inconsistent, with only modestgains and periodic declines, suggesting continued friction betweendemand and conversion. Geopolitical disruption sharply impacts Middle East travel Geopolitical tensions triggered a sharp decline in air travel to the Middle East, with bookings dropping as much as 78% versus early February levels. While nearbymarkets like Turkey remain more resilient, demand overall has yet to fully recover—highlighting uneven r