U.S. travelers are cutting back on summer Europe trips — but Chinese tourists are making up for it

U.S. tourists seem to be cutting back on summer trips to Europe — but Chinese travelers are more than making up for it, a study found.

Data from the European Travel Commission (ETC) published Tuesday showed that just 33% of U.S. survey respondents were planning to visit Europe this summer, some 7% below the levels of last year.

The decline appears to largely relate to funding, with 54% of those polled citing high travel costs as a barrier.

But political concerns, including those around the perception of the U.S. abroad, also appear to be weighing on plans, the ETC said.

“Travel sentiment is strongest among Americans from the Northeast (43% vs. 33% in the total sample), a region that typically leans Democratic and diverges politically from Trump,” the organization noted.

Popular European tourist destinations usually welcome millions of visitors from the U.S. each year. U.S. tourists in the U.K. in 2023 for example totaled a record 5.1 million, while U.S. visitors were among the top five countries bringing the most cash into the French economy last year.

The decline in interest in a European summer isn’t limited to U.S. travelers. Around 39% of total respondents to the ETC’s survey said they were planning such a holiday in 2025, compared to 41% in 2024. Sentiment around European travel has also pulled back among travelers from Brazil, Canada and Japan.

But interest in European summer trips shot up among Chinese travelers, with 72% of survey respondents from the country saying they were planning such a holiday — up 10% from the previous year.

“The strong sentiment is supported by growing disposable incomes, favourable travel policies, and a consumer shift toward prioritising personal fulfilment and lifestyle experiences such as tourism,” the ETC said.

The National Bureau of Statistics of China earlier this year said that the nationwide per capita disposable income grew by more than 5% over the previous year in the first quarter of 2025. Domestically, concerns have nevertheless mounted over the resilience of the Chinese consumer: weak consumer demand drove prices lower recently, while retail sales growth slowed in April.

Europe has long been a key destination for Chinese tourists, with many looking to buy luxury goods whilst away. This trend came to a screeching halt during the Covid-19 pandemic, but could be picking back up now.

Over half of Chinese travelers now say that shopping is part of their European travel plans, according to the ETC data. Yet, the figures also suggest that travelers might be shifting their spending patterns, with Chinese tourists now especially likelier to tighten the belt. Just 29% of them are expecting to spend more than 200 euros ($229) a day, a 44% drop compared to last year. Instead, the majority of Chinese visitors is now looking to spend between 100 and 200 euros per day.