New York, USA - September 25, 2026. ZHMURCHAK / Shutterstock.comFor British holidaymakers, America has long been a familiar favourite. Whether it is Christmas shopping in New York, theme parks in Florida, a road trip along the Pacific Coast or a music-filled weekend in Nashville, the US offers a seemingly endless choice of holidays.
But while British travellers are still making the journey across the Atlantic, the wider European appetite for America is cooling.
New research examining US visitor arrivals from 48 European markets reveals a significant divergence between countries. Some traditional source markets are experiencing steep declines, while the UK and Poland are moving in the opposite direction.
According to Destination Finder's analysis of US National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) data, arrivals from NTTO-defined Europe fell 9.7% in January–August 2026 compared with the same period in 2024. The total dropped from 9.30 million to 8.40 million, representing almost 898,000 fewer arrivals.
For the US tourism industry, that is a sizeable loss from a region that has traditionally supplied millions of long-haul visitors.
Yet Britain is bucking the trend.
Britain remains a bright spot
The UK recorded 2.63 million arrivals in the US during the first eight months of 2026, an increase of 1.5% against the same period in 2024. This represented 38,649 additional arrivals, the largest absolute increase among the 48 European markets examined.
Britain also remained the largest European source market for US travel.
The figures offer some reassurance to airlines, hotels, tour operators and American destination marketing organisations that rely on British visitors. Established air connections, cultural familiarity and longstanding travel ties continue to give the US a strong position in the UK outbound market.
However, there is a qualification. Compared with January–August 2025, UK arrivals were down 0.6%. The growth against 2024 therefore does not tell the whole story.
The more recent picture is also worth watching. Arrivalist's analysis of preliminary NTTO data found that UK arrivals fell 6% year-on-year in September, representing approximately 22,000 fewer visitors.
Britain is holding up better than much of Europe, but that does not mean its transatlantic relationship is immune to changing travel patterns.
Germany and France lead the retreat
The contrast with some of Europe's largest source markets is striking.
Germany recorded the biggest absolute decline in the Destination Finder analysis. Arrivals fell from 1.29 million in January–August 2024 to 983,296 in 2026, a reduction of 309,558 or 23.9%.
France also experienced a substantial contraction. Arrivals dropped 20.2%, from 1.16 million to 925,622, representing 234,550 fewer arrivals.
The Netherlands and Belgium recorded declines of 21.5% and 21%, respectively, while Switzerland was down 22.9%.
Denmark experienced the steepest percentage decline among all 48 markets. Arrivals plunged 40.2%, from 155,990 to 93,292.
These figures suggest that the slowdown is not confined to one country or a particular corner of Europe. Several established markets are experiencing significant reductions, including countries that have historically supplied large numbers of American visitors.
For US tourism businesses, the implications extend beyond airport arrival figures. European visitors support demand across accommodation, restaurants, shopping, attractions, cultural experiences and domestic transport. A sustained decline could affect destinations that depend on international leisure and business travel.
Poland bucks the European trend
While much of Western Europe is moving backwards, Poland offers another encouraging contrast.
Arrivals from Polish residents increased 6.3%, rising from 248,778 in January–August 2024 to 264,477 in 2026.
More significantly, Poland was the only one of the 15 largest European source markets to record growth against both 2024 and 2025. Its arrivals were 0.9% higher than the corresponding period in 2025.
This suggests that the European market is far from moving as one. While established Western European markets are losing ground, other countries are maintaining or increasing their contribution to US tourism.
For destination marketers, this reinforces the importance of looking beyond traditional source markets. A strategy built around a handful of established European countries may overlook opportunities in markets where demand is growing.
What the numbers mean for the UK travel trade
For British travel businesses, the figures present a mixed picture.
The UK remains a major contributor to American inbound tourism, and its relative resilience provides a stronger starting point than that of several European competitors.
However, the September decline suggests that operators should not take continued demand for granted.
The US has a broad portfolio of products for British holidaymakers, from familiar city breaks and theme parks to national parks, cruises, road trips and regional food and music experiences. This variety gives travel advisers opportunities to sell more than the traditional New York or Florida holiday.
There is also room to encourage repeat visitors to explore less familiar destinations and combine several regions into longer itineraries.
But the challenge is to make these holidays competitive on price and experience. British consumers have plenty of alternatives, including European city breaks, Caribbean resorts and long-haul destinations across Asia.
For American tourism boards and travel suppliers, retaining the UK market will require continued engagement with British travel agents, tour operators and consumers, alongside products that offer clear value and fresh reasons to visit.
A European market that needs a closer look
The latest figures do not explain why European arrivals have changed. They measure arrival events by travellers' country of residence, rather than unique individuals or leisure-only trips. July and August 2026 figures were also preliminary when Destination Finder retrieved the data on 24 September.
Nevertheless, the scale of the differences is difficult to ignore.
The UK is still performing better than most of its European neighbours, while Germany, France, Denmark and several other established markets have recorded substantial declines. Poland, meanwhile, is demonstrating that growth remains possible.
For the US tourism industry, the message is clear: Europe is not a single market, and its source countries are no longer moving in the same direction.
Britain may still be crossing the pond in significant numbers, but the wider European picture suggests that America's appeal cannot be taken for granted.
The US has no shortage of attractions. The harder task is ensuring that European travellers continue to see a visit as worth the time, money and long-haul journey.
