In Europe, the wallet rules. Average spending per trip has fallen over the past year from 3,152 to 2,649 euros, a significant cut that reflects the weight of the rising cost of living on leisure decisions. The most striking case is the United Kingdom, where outlay has dropped by 28%. European travellers are not giving up their holidays, but they are scrutinising them closely and want every euro to be justified.
That caution translates into more forward planning. Some 78% of Europeans book their activities before leaving home, leaving little room for improvisation at the destination. At the same time, 65% consider sustainability and transparency about the added value of what they buy to be decisive. An attractive price is no longer enough. Customers want to understand what they are paying for and what footprint their trip leaves behind.
Latin America paints a more expansive picture. Some 29% of Mexicans and 26% of Brazilians plan to take more holiday trips, a sign of confidence that contrasts with European restraint. Their getaways are also longer, with average stays of more than eight days in one case and nine in the other.
Family sits at the heart of this way of travelling. Some 45% of Latin Americans travelled with children on their last trip, compared with 33% of Europeans. And 19% travelled with their extended family, roughly double the European rate. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are naturally part of the plan, which shapes the choice of accommodation, activities and destinations.
Where the region stands out as particularly advanced is in its use of artificial intelligence. Seven out of ten Latin American travellers turn to these tools to organise their trips, a share that rises to 80% among those under 35. ChatGPT tops the list with 43% usage, followed by Google Gemini with 35%.
This enthusiasm for technology does, however, have a clear limit. When it comes to booking activities, 77% rely on recommendations from family and friends, and 67% on specialist reviews. Artificial intelligence serves above all to discover options and find inspiration, while the final decision still rests on personal trust and the opinion of those who have already been there.
The study also looks closely at younger travellers, who share similar tastes in both regions. Travellers under 35 lean towards immersive experiences and large festivals. In Europe, 34% of them attended this kind of cultural event, a figure that now exceeds traditional museum visits. Culture is increasingly experienced as something collective and live.
All of this offers useful lessons for tour operators. In the European market, the key lies in clearly communicating the value of each offer and its commitment to sustainability, in order to win over a more price-sensitive customer. In Latin America, the challenge is to design products built for families, to build brands that inspire trust and to take care of visibility on digital channels and artificial intelligence platforms, where a large share of journeys now begins.
The analysis leaves one underlying idea. Europeans and Latin Americans seek the same things when they travel, to switch off and to share, but they get there by different paths. Understanding those differences will be decisive for anyone hoping to win over both in the years ahead.
