The tourist destinations that are growing the most in 2026 have been unveiled, spanning already beloved travel hotspots and countries drawing an ever-increasing number of international visitors.
To document the phenomenon, the latest figures from the World Tourism Barometer compiled by UN Tourism show that between January and June 2026 around 690 million people traveled abroad, 3 million more than in the same period of 2025. Here are the destinations attracting more and more tourists.
European Destinations Where Tourism Is Growing the Most
From the numbers emerging in the latest World Tourism Barometer, Europe continues to post positive figures: in the first half of 2026 international tourist arrivals rose by 3% overall, with about 350 million travelers visiting the continent between January and June. The growth, however, was not uniform: the southern Mediterranean Europe and Central-Eastern Europe recorded a +4%, while in Western Europe arrivals fell by 1%.
Leading the pack was Moldova, which in the first half of the year posted a 25% increase in international arrivals, a leap that clearly places it ahead of the other European destinations that grew the most during the period studied.
Next come two destinations that are much more established from a tourism perspective: Greece and Ireland, both up by 15% compared with the same period a year earlier.
The European destinations with the largest increases were therefore:
- Moldova: +25%;
- Greece: +15%;
- Ireland: +15%.
Destinations Growing the Most in the Rest of the World
If we look beyond Europe, the increases become even more striking. Leading the destinations highlighted by UN Tourism is El Salvador, where international arrivals rose by as much as 37% in the first half of 2026.
Next is Paraguay, with a growth of 34%, while in third place is Bhutan, reaching +31%. Just below the 30% threshold are two island nations in Oceania: Vanuatu, with +30%, and Palau, with +29%.
Significant numbers also come from Asia: Mongolia records a 27% increase, Uzbekistan 25% and South Korea 21%.
Below are the rest-of-world destinations that recorded the largest increases:
- El Salvador: +37%;
- Paraguay: +34%;
- Bhutan: +31%;
- Vanuatu: +30%;
- Palau: +29%;
- Mongolia: +27%;
- Uzbekistan: +25%;
- South Korea: +21%.
However, the forecasts for the rest of the year remain conditioned by geopolitical instability and rising costs. In light of the latest data, UN Tourism has therefore revised the 2026 outlook downward: global international arrivals are expected to grow between 1% and 2%, versus the 3%–4% estimated in January. Much will depend on how conflicts evolve and on possible spillovers to oil prices and inflation.
In this scenario, travel habits could also shift: according to UN Tourism, travelers will continue to pay close attention to value for money, favoring closer-to-home destinations and trips within their own country in order to curb costs during a period still characterized by uncertainty.
