Uzbekistan is becoming a new destination for international tourists as the demand for trip searches to the country increased by a record 64% between May 2025 and April 2026. This data is presented in the report 'Travel Insights 2026: Focus on Europe,' prepared by Amadeus in collaboration with UN Tourism. This growth was the highest among all surveyed destinations.
Neighboring Tajikistan showed the same increase in search demand—64%. The report notes a growing interest in Central and Eastern European regions, which the authors also include Central Asian countries in. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan showed the strongest demand growth, surpassing established markets such as Switzerland and Sweden (each showing a 36% growth), Denmark (34%), Ireland (33%), Belgium (32%), and Norway (31%).
According to the report, the increasing diversity of new destinations indicates that travelers are increasingly seeking new experiences beyond traditional tourist spots. This opens opportunities for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) to enhance their status by developing unique marketing campaigns and compelling storytelling.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Sheikha Al Nawais stated: 'More and more travelers are striving to discover new places outside of well-known and heavily photographed tourist attractions. The greatest success belongs to those destinations that are bold enough to make themselves known today before the rest of the world finds out.'
The European tourism sector continued to demonstrate resilience and growth in the second quarter of 2026. According to Amadeus Travel Intelligence, passenger traffic to Europe increased by 2.3% compared to the same period last year (May 2025 – April 2026). Meanwhile, hotel occupancy grew by 2%, and the average daily rate (ADR) increased by 7%.
The UN Tourism Global Tourism Barometer reported that international arrivals to Europe grew by 4% in the first quarter of 2026, following a 5% growth in 2025. Overall growth in Central and Eastern Europe was 6%, while Southern Mediterranean Europe and Northern Europe each showed a growth of 4%, and Western Europe showed a growth of 2%.
Javier Campo, Vice President of Commercial for Europe at Amadeus Hospitality, noted: 'Despite some uncertainty in European travel due to the macroeconomic situation, demand on the continent remains resilient. We see a clear opportunity to attract Japanese travelers, who lead both in search volume and booking growth in Europe, and there is also growing interest in lesser-known destinations.'
In addition to traditional leaders of European tourism, booking data indicates growing demand for destinations offering unique experiences and a more balanced season. Czechia demonstrated the fastest booking growth among leading European markets, increasing by 9%, and Iceland by 7%.
The report indicates that these figures reflect strong interest in both cultural city breaks and nature travel in Northern and Central Europe.
Japan has become the fastest-growing source market for travel to Europe. A 62% increase in search queries from Japan translated into a 12% increase in bookings, which is 10 percentage points higher than Denmark, which ranked second in booking growth. Booking growth from Japan was observed across all sub-regions of Europe: 28% in Central and Eastern Europe, 14% in Southern Mediterranean Europe, 10% in Western Europe, and 8% in Northern Europe.
According to the report, this trend creates significant opportunities for tourism organizations, DMOs, and airlines, ranging from more targeted marketing campaigns to strategic partnerships for route development.
Travelers aged 46 to 65 account for about 30% of total tourism demand in Europe, making them the largest customer segment. According to the Amadeus Travel Dreams report, this age group is increasingly seeking authentic local experiences, cultural immersion, wellness, and a deeper connection with the places they visit.
This trend is also noticeable in the hotel sector. The average daily rate in Europe remained close to $215 USD over the last 12 months, peaking at $249 USD in June 2025. France recorded the highest rates among major markets, reaching $441 USD in June and $391 USD in July.
Hotel occupancy across Europe was maintained at 73% or higher from May to October 2025, reaching nearly 80% in September.
Nearly half of all bookings, about 48%, are made more than a month before the intended arrival date, highlighting the effectiveness of early marketing and pricing strategies. Hotel occupancy for September 2026 has already reached 25%, compared to 22% the previous year, which is an early sign of stable tourist demand before the start of the next high season.
The 'Travel Insights 2026: Focus on Europe' report is based on data from Amadeus Destination Gateway, which combines historical and forecast information on hotels, air travel, and traveler demographics.
From January to June 2026, Uzbekistan welcomed over 6.5 million foreign visitors. This figure demonstrates growth compared to the same period last year, when the number of tourists increased by 1.3 million people, which accounts for 24.9%.
According to information from the National Committee on Statistics, the largest number of tourists arrived from neighboring countries. Kyrgyzstan topped this list, welcoming over 1.8 million citizens during the first six months of the reporting period.
Kazakhstan was second in terms of visitor numbers, exceeding the threshold of 1.5 million people. Tajikistan took third place, with 1.47 million people arriving from there.
Among countries that do not border Uzbekistan, Russia provided the most significant influx of tourists, accounting for 585.5 thousand people. It is followed by Afghanistan with almost 239 thousand tourists, China with 223.5 thousand, Turkmenistan with 164.2 thousand, and Turkey with 95.5 thousand.
The top ten countries whose residents most frequently visited Uzbekistan also included India with 26.4 thousand tourists and Germany with 22.3 thousand.
Previously, plans were announced for Uzbekistan to significantly increase the average spending of foreign tourists, with an expected growth of almost threefold.
A significant increase in travel between Uzbekistan and Georgia has been observed during the first five months of 2026. According to statistical data, the tourist flow between the two countries has grown by more than a quarter compared to the same period last year.
According to the National Committee on Statistics, 3.3 thousand Georgian citizens arrived in Uzbekistan with tourism intentions from January to May 2026. The main group of visitors, numbering 2.3 thousand people, came specifically for travel. Additionally, 766 Georgian citizens visited Uzbekistan for business purposes, 254 people came to visit relatives, and 3 people utilized the opportunity for study.
During the same five-month period, 3.3 thousand people traveled from Uzbekistan to Georgia. Tourism remained the primary reason for Uzbek citizens' trips, accounting for almost 3 thousand people. Other purposes included visiting relatives (258 citizens), medical treatment (33 people), official business trips (25 people), and study (8 people).
Despite the overall growth in tourist traffic, Podrobno.uz received a video message from a tourist from Uzbekistan. In this message, he reported that about 20 of his compatriots faced problems at Tbilisi International Airport, where they were denied entry into the country without any explanation.
