Amadeus Data Reveals Central and Eastern Europe Emerging as New Frontier for Travelers

Joint report with UN Tourism highlights growing popularity of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Czech Republic

A host of emerging destinations in Central and Eastern Europe are catching the eye of international travelers this year, as demand for thought-provoking travel continues to rise.

Among the top 30 largest tourism destinations, Azerbaijan was the fastest growing, recording a 26% increase in air bookings between May 2023-to-April 2024 and May 2024-to-April 2025. At the same time, Kazakhstan (7%) and the Czech Republic (6%) also saw more modest increases in bookings over the period.

The findings are revealed in a new report – Travel Insights 2025: Focus on Europe – published by Amadeus in collaboration with UN Tourism, drawing on data from Amadeus Navigator360™.

Our research alongside UN Tourism has unearthed some fascinating results, with growth in air bookings particularly notable in destinations including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and the Czech Republic. Destinations outside the usual core of western Europe are becoming more attractive, and this could reflect a diversification in traveler preferences or targeted regional marketing. For Destination Marketing Companies (DMOs) there may now be increased value in exploring how rising interest in lesser-known or emerging destinations can be supported through accessibility, storytelling, or regional collaboration, helping turn growing curiosity into confirmed visits. Javier Campo, VP of Commercial, Europe, Hospitality Amadeus

Leading destinations continue to dominate

Classic destinations, however, continue to dominate the wider landscape, with the top ten booked destinations in Europe for air travel accounting for 70.9% of all trips from May 2024-to-April 2025. These were led by Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany.

Similarly, in terms of available seats to Europe by market, Spain and the United Kingdom each accounted for 12% of scheduled air capacity to the region for May 2024–April 2025, highlighting a continued dominance as European gateways.

We are pleased to collaborate once again with Amadeus, one of our valuable Affiliate Members, to publish the first 'Travel Trends 2025 - Focus on Europe’. At UN Tourism, we are committed to strengthening the capacity of our Members to access strategic data and enhance market intelligence. Reliable and up-to-date data is more critical than ever for the effective management of tourism and to be better prepared in an ever-evolving tourism landscape. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism

Optimistic European backdrop

The developments come against a positive backdrop across the European hospitality market. Amadeus Navigator360™ data reveals Western Europe – which includes Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands and Switzerland – recorded a modest increase in occupancy over the past year, rising from an average of 67% between May 2023-April 2024 to 68% between May 2024-April 2025. Over the same period the Average Daily Rate (ADR) increased from $198.32 to $204.24 across the region.

A similar pattern was seen in Northern Europe – covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom – with occupancy increasing from an average of 73% between May 2023-April 2024 to 75% between May 2024-April 2025. Over the same period ADR increased from $197.77 to $200.74.

The positive trend is evidenced by data from the airline sector, with worldwide passenger traffic to Europe seeing projected growth of 6.7% year-on-year for April–October 2025, signaling ongoing traveler interest in the region from across global markets.

Javier Campo, VP of Commercial, Europe, Hospitality, Amadeus adds: Amadeus Navigator360™ data shows both traffic and capacity follow a familiar seasonal pattern, peaking in July and August, reflecting strong summer travel demand. Interestingly, for most of the timeline, capacity is consistently higher than actual passenger traffic, especially for the April–September 2025 period. This indicates that airlines are planning ahead of demand, perhaps anticipating continued growth or attempting to stimulate it. For DMOs it may be worth considering initiatives that support year-round tourism development, particularly in the shoulder and off-peak seasons, to help better align with available airline capacity and smooth demand throughout the year.

About Navigator360™

Intuitive dashboards are designed to help destinations quickly identify what is happening in their market, including air searches, hotel bookings, emerging traveler, top source markets, visitor profiles (age, gender, nationality etc.), and length of stay.