Tourism shrugs off wars and protests, with 1.57 billion arrivals forecast for 2026

Pack your bags anyway. A new World Travel Market report predicts international arrivals will reach a record 1.57 billion in 2026, even as wars, economic jitters and street protests rattle the map. The study's author, Tourism Economics EMEA managing director David Goodger, says the sector keeps bouncing back faster than anyone expects.

The money is flowing too. Tourism spending is up despite higher prices, and Goodger told France 24 that a little over half of that increase comes down to inflation — the rest is people treating themselves. Travelers are still prioritizing luxury experiences, he said, splurging on indulgences whenever the budget allows.

The planning process is getting a tech makeover. The report found a jump in travelers using chatbots to sketch out itineraries, but only a third say they trust AI agents to actually complete a booking. Goodger's read: AI is fundamental to the industry's background operations, yet it isn't wiping out human agents. There's still room for the human touch.

Political unrest isn't scaring everyone off, either. Paris and other French cities hit by sometimes violent protests should stay on the map, Goodger said, though he acknowledged some short-term disruption as travelers swap destinations. Historically those visitors come back — and the recovery rate has halved over the past few years, meaning they return faster than before.

The takeaway from the report: travel is resilient. People really want the experiences, Goodger said, and neither geopolitics nor price tags have managed to change that. The next test is whether 2026 delivers the record the industry is banking on.