According to a fresh analysis by Data Appeal and Phocuswright, European travelers continue to be interested in the United States, but their decision-making is now far more conscious: shorter booking windows, greater sensitivity to price and experience, as well as stronger demands for nature-oriented and active tourism are shaping the 2026 demand. From a Hungarian perspective, this means that when planning a trip to America, it is not enough to simply watch for the cheapest flight ticket; the route, the timing of entry, domestic transportation, the quality of accommodation, and local experiences together determine how good the value for money of the trip will be.
On June 3, a summary of the joint white paper by Data Appeal Company / Almaviva Group and Phocuswright was published, examining the change in European demand toward the United States. The study combines various data: flight booking signals, preferred destinations, arrival airports, traveler profiles, accommodation and experience ratings, and perception indicators. The focus is not on a single country, but on the behavior of the EU28 markets and the larger European sending countries, so the conclusions are useful for Hungarian travelers as well, especially if they are planning an American road trip in 2026 or early 2027.
The most important message is that the USA remains a strong long-haul destination, but traditional urban routes alone are less sufficient. Trips built around New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, and San Francisco continue to be dominant, yet European travelers are increasingly seeking programs connected to nature, national parks, iconic landscapes, classic car road trips, or active experiences. This is particularly important for Hungarian travelers because a trip to the United States from Hungary is typically a higher-cost journey requiring a longer vacation, where a poorly chosen route can easily become an expensive compromise.
What Does the Fresh European Demand Picture Show?
According to Data Appeal and Phocuswright, GDS bookings for 2026 from EU28 countries, fixed at least six months in advance, exceeded the same period of the previous year by 11 percent by April. This is noteworthy because in 2025, this same indicator showed a 4 percent decline compared to 2024. The picture, therefore, is not simply that Europe is turning away from America. Rather, it is that travelers are monitoring American opportunities more cautiously, with shorter decision times, but still with serious interest.
According to Phocuswright's forecast, North America could reach a gross travel booking value of 567 billion dollars in 2026, which would represent an annual growth of 3.1 percent. This remains one of the world's largest regional travel markets. On the European side, however, the intensity varies: among the markets included in the analysis, the United Kingdom's connection is the strongest, where 15 percent of the British traveling population visits North America; for France, this is 11, for Germany 9, for Spain 8, and for Italy 6 percent.
Hungary is not listed as a separately highlighted major sending market, so the Hungarian reader should interpret the numbers cautiously. However, the direction of the trend is relevant: demand for American trips in Europe has not disappeared, but the motivations and selection criteria are becoming more refined. For a Hungarian family, couple, or a longer vacation combined with a business trip, this means that alongside the classic "Budapest-New York, then a few days of sightseeing" model, it is increasingly worthwhile to compare multi-stop, nature-oriented, or car rental-based routes.
The Major Gateway Cities Remain, But Not Everything Is About Them
According to the analysis, New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, and San Francisco continue to lead among the most popular American destinations for EU28 travelers. These cities are also logical entry points from a flight perspective, as they handle large international traffic, connect with many European transfer options, and domestic continuations can be organized relatively easily from there. Hungarian travelers should specifically look at the Budapest-New York JFK, Budapest-Newark, Budapest-Los Angeles, Budapest-Miami, Budapest-Las Vegas, and Budapest-San Francisco options, as price differences are often large not only by city but also by transfer point and travel date.
However, the weight of the major gateway cities does not mean that all demand is concentrated there. According to Data Appeal, European demand for the most favorite gateway destinations weakened by 15.9 percent in 2025 compared to 2023. This does not necessarily mean a decline for the USA as a whole, but rather that some travelers are no longer just looking for the most famous cities. Interest in the area around the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Sedona, West Yellowstone, or other nature-oriented regions shows that an American trip is increasingly becoming experience-based route planning.
This is a practical question for Hungarian travelers as well. If someone arrives in Los Angeles, for example, and then connects national parks, desert landscapes, or West Coast cities, then in addition to the flight ticket, they must calculate the cost of car rental, insurance, fuel, park entrance fees, long driving sections, and potential one-way car drop-off fees. To this end, it may be useful to review in advance, for example, the conditions for Los Angeles airport car rental, Las Vegas car rental, or San Francisco car rental.
Why Is Active and Nature-Oriented Travel Strengthening?
According to fresh data, active tourism has shown the most consistent growth among European traveler motivations since 2023: its share rose by 1.5 percentage points to 17.2 percent. Culture remains the strongest motivation, with a 31.9 percent share in 2025, although it has decreased by 2.8 percentage points since 2023. Nature represents a weight of 17 percent. These three elements together well describe why the content of American trips is changing: urban sights remain important, but more and more people want to add landscapes, movement, a road trip experience, or a less cliché program to them.
From a Hungarian perspective, this is particularly understandable. An American trip is rarely an impulse purchase: the flight is long, the time difference is significant, the cost is higher, and the ESTA permit, passport, insurance, and internal transportation must be arranged in advance. If someone already undertakes this investment, they often want to get more than a few urban photo spots. Nature-oriented routes and multi-stop trips are attractive because they better justify the meaning of the long flight and the higher cost.
However, the trend does not mean that everyone must embark on a car-based national park tour. According to a summary referring to Phocuswright's consumer research, iconic urban and beach destinations remain strong among American travelers arriving from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany: 46-55 percent choose urban hotspots, and 49-56 percent choose beach or ocean-type destinations. For Hungarian readers, this implies that the best American trip is often hybrid: a reliable international gateway city, a few cultural days, then nature, a beach, or an active program.
Perception Has Now Become a More Sensitive Factor
An important part of the study is traveler perception. According to Data Appeal, European travelers viewed the United States more favorably in 2025 in several indicators than in 2023: the safety feeling index rose by 12.5 points to 81.4 points, and the climate perception improved by 2.4 points to 80.6 points. At the same time, the global tourism perception index remained relatively low at 59.3 points compared to other important destinations, and based on early 2026 data, a slight decline is visible: the global index decreased by 1.5 points to 56.6, and the safety perception moderated by 0.7 points to 81.1.
This is important for Hungarian travelers not as an alarm, but as a planning signal. The United States is a huge and very diverse destination: it is a completely different experience to move with public transport in New York, rely on a car in Los Angeles, mix beach and urban programs in Miami, or start from Las Vegas toward national parks. Therefore, safety, transportation, the choice of neighborhood, and accommodation quality are not subsequent details, but part of the trip's value. In New York, for example, airport access and the location of the first night matter a lot; for this, it is worth reviewing in advance the JFK airport, JFK transfer, and hotels near JFK options.
Another side of perception is service expectation. European travelers are often used to high-quality urban transport, transparent prices, and well-organized tourist services. In the USA, distances are larger, the system of taxes and tips is different, and the resort fee or parking fee can significantly increase the final amount. Because of this, it is advisable for Hungarian travelers when booking accommodation to look not only at the nightly price, but also at the mandatory fees, cancellation conditions, the neighborhood, and transport connections.
How Should a Hungarian Traveler React?
The first lesson is that an American trip should be planned with several scenarios. If New York is the main goal, it is worth comparing JFK and Newark arrivals, as well as which transfer point provides a better schedule and less risk. If a West Coast or national park trip is the goal, then the arrival and departure points between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco must be weighed. In the case of Miami, beach relaxation, urban programs, and other parts of Florida can provide a meaningful combination.
The second lesson is timing. According to fresh data, European travelers show strong interest and shorter decision windows simultaneously. In practice, this means that good prices can disappear quickly, but booking too early is not always the best if the route is not yet figured out. It is worth fixing the major elements first: entry city, departure city, internal flights or driving, main accommodation nights, insurance, and documents. Only after this should the programs be finalized.
The third lesson is that in USA travel, ground logistics are at least as important as the flight. In Los Angeles, for example, a car is almost indispensable on many routes, while in New York, avoiding a car is often the more practical decision. In San Francisco, car rental can be useful for a wider Californian road trip, but urban parking is expensive. In Miami, the airport transfer, beach accommodation, and potential Florida driving together determine the cost. For those who do not want to start the first day with uncertainty, it may be useful to review in advance, for example, the LAX transfer, Miami airport transfer, or San Francisco airport transfer options.
What Does All This Mean for the Tourism Market?
The message of the report to providers is clear: it is not enough to address European travelers with general USA campaigns. Demand is increasingly experience-based, and travelers are seeking more authentic, better-organized, nature-oriented, or active programs alongside urban icons. This is an opportunity, but also a challenge for American destinations, because the slight decline in perception indicators suggests that value for money, safety feeling, service quality, and the clarity of routes play a serious role in the decision.
For the Hungarian travel market, this is important because North American trips have become more visible from several directions in 2026: new and returning transatlantic connections, stronger regional transfer options, and the demand for longer, experience-centered trips are shaping demand simultaneously. Those working as agencies, accommodation intermediaries, or flight ticket sellers should offer not just city names, but ready route logics: New York plus East Coast road trip, Los Angeles plus national parks, San Francisco plus California, Miami plus Florida, or Las Vegas plus Grand Canyon region.
Summary
European demand for the United States in 2026 does not seem weak, but it has definitely become more mature. Based on fresh Data Appeal and Phocuswright data, travelers continue to book, yet they weigh better what they get for their money, how safe and comfortable they feel the destination is, and what experiences they can build into the trip beyond the big cities. As a Hungarian traveler, the best answer to this is more conscious planning: comparing several airports, realistic cost calculation, pre-thought transfer or car rental, and a route that not only takes you to America, but truly gives meaning to the long journey.