June 12, 2025, 4:59 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Where are most Europeans heading this year, and which destinations are the most popular worldwide? The Mastercard Economics Institute explored this question in a recent analysis. TRAVELBOOK presents the findings.
Summer vacation is just around the corner for many Germans, and those who haven’t booked yet might be looking at where others are heading–either to join them or to go in the opposite direction. The Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI), a research and analysis division of the payment service provider Mastercard, has identified the trend destinations for 2025 in Europe and worldwide in a recent analysis, highlighting those attracting the most visitors and the cities experiencing the greatest growth. The top spot in Europe is particularly surprising. Or is it?
Overview
Tirana is the city destination with the greatest growth in Europe
Albania’s capital, Tirana, recorded the largest increase in European visitors between 2019 and 2024, with a growth of 178.8 percent, to be exact. According to the Mastercard Economics Institute, the city is “one of the fastest-growing city destinations in Europe.” Italians, in particular, seem to be flocking to Tirana in droves.
Besides the obvious reasons that make the city an attractive destination–such as culture, history, relatively affordable prices, and a starting point for trips to the country with its exciting UNESCO World Heritage sites–there are other factors at play. Albania has been actively promoting tourism, boosting its appeal (as reported by TRAVELBOOK).
TRAVELBOOK nominated Albania for a TRAVELBOOK Award last year, and according to the UN World Tourism Barometer, Albania was the fastest-growing tourist destination last year. The magazine “Time Out” also recently ranked Tirana as the top best and most affordable city destination for this year (as reported by TRAVELBOOK). Additionally, Albania was the guest country at the ITB tourism fair (TRAVELBOOK reported). With all these exciting aspects of Tirana, it seems many people have recently discovered Albania–and its capital, Tirana.
Also interesting: Driving through Albania–this was my road trip
The top 15 trend destinations for Europeans by growth 2019 to 2024
In addition to Tirana, there are many other destinations that have also seen a strong increase in European travelers. The Mastercard Economics Institute has highlighted the 15 fastest-growing cities by net growth on a map. TRAVELBOOK presents the results in this ranking.
- Tirana, Albania (+178.8 percent)
- Antalya, Turkey (+69.9 percent)
- Paris, France (+11.8 percent)
- Tenerife, Spain (+35.9 percent)
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates (+15.1 percent)
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (+144 percent)
- Milan, Italy (+9.2 percent)
- Manchester, United Kingdom (+13.1 percent)
- Warsaw, Poland (+23.1 percent)
- Istanbul, Turkey (+9.8 percent)
- Bristol, United Kingdom (+28.6 percent)
- Belgrade, Serbia (+42.2 percent)
- Hurghada, Egypt (+61.1 percent)
The ranking shows the net growth according to MEI. The growth in passenger numbers is shown in parentheses.
As for where Germans are flying, the destination with the most growth from Germany between 2019 and 2024 is Antalya. It is followed by Tirana, Tunis in Tunisia, Belgrade, Izmir in Turkey, Malé in the Maldives, Dubai, Pristina in Serbia, Doha in Qatar, Doha in Qatar, and Alghero in Sardinia.
In a global comparison, Tirana ranks tenth among cities with the largest growth in air travelers. Tokyo in Japan takes the top spot.
These are the worldwide trend destinations in summer 2025
Based on data from the OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited flight database, the Mastercard Economics Institute identified not only the fastest-growing city destinations but also the worldwide trend destinations for summer 2025. Flight bookings through March for travel between June and September 2025 were compared to last year’s data.
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The result is a top 15 list of trend summer destinations, led by Tokyo. The Japanese city saw a nearly 0.2 percent increase in tourism demand. In 2024, it was the most visited city in the world, dethroning Bangkok from its long-held top spot, according to MEI. The second most popular summer destination this year is also in Japan: Osaka, which shows an almost 0.2 percent increase in tourism demand. Just behind Osaka in third place is a classic city destination: Paris.
The 15 trend destinations in summer 2025 according to Mastercard Economics Institute
- Tokyo, Japan
- Osaka, Japan
- Shanghai, China
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Seoul, South Korea
- Seoul, South Korea
- Beijing, China
- Madrid, Spain
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Singapore, Singapore
- Nha Trang, Vietnam
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Hurghada, Egypt
- Alghero, Italy
For travelers from Europe, Tokyo also ranks as the number one destination. The second spot is taken by the capital of Germany’s favorite island, Palma de Mallorca, while London, Sharm El-Sheikh, and Alghero in Sardinia follow.
Fewer international travelers seem to be heading to the U.S. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the number of air travelers between the U.S. and Western Europe had already “decreased by 1.2 percent in March compared to the previous year.”