Civitatis Published Global Travel Trends Index
The 2026 industry index highlights shifting booking habits and regional preferences for travelers across 160 countries.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Travel — General
Live Poll
Is booking your travel closer to the departure date a better strategy for your household?
Civitatis has released its Global Travel Trends and Activities Index 2026, analyzing booking data from 1.2 million travelers and 6 million reviews. The report covers travel behaviors across 160 countries, providing insights into lead times and regional preferences.
Why it matters
Understanding these booking patterns helps travelers and industry professionals anticipate shifts in demand and capacity. The data highlights significant differences in how direct consumers and travel agencies approach trip planning.
Travel agencies book activities an average of 49 days in advance, while direct consumers book 26 days ahead. Southern Europe dominated the first half of 2026 with 49.3% of global bookings.
The players
Civitatis
Civitatis is a global platform for booking tours, activities, and excursions in various languages.
The details
Guided and free tours currently account for 80.64% of direct bookings, while agency demand is led by day trips at 24.39% and attraction tickets at 15.37%. Couples represent the largest booking demographic, accounting for 32.21% of direct sales and 27.51% of agency transactions.
Timeline
H1 2026 served as the primary period for actual booking data collection.
September 22, 2026 marked the official release date of the index.
H2 2026 is the target period for the report's booking forecasts.
Travel Outlook
The index provides a baseline for evaluating annual tourism growth and shifting regional popularity throughout 2026. This data helps contextualize the current travel landscape against forecasted shifts in market share for Southern Europe and Asia.
Travelers who book directly should plan for a median window of 11 days, whereas those using travel agencies should prepare for longer lead times of 31 days. Understanding these average windows can help consumers secure availability for popular guided tours and day trips.
The takeaway
Travelers should distinguish between direct and agency booking habits to optimize their own planning timelines. Leveraging these industry trends can assist in managing expectations for trip availability in high-demand regions like Southern Europe.
Further reading
For more on evolving tourism patterns, visit Travel — General.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TravelDailyNews International.
Live Poll
Is booking your travel closer to the departure date a better strategy for your household?
