Italy tops GHA members' favourite international destinations

Italy emerged as the most popular international destination among members of Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) during the second quarter of 2026, reflecting strong demand for European leisure travel alongside continued interest in Asia's leading tourism hotspots.

According to GHA, the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, Italy topped the rankings for international stays by its members, with room revenue generated from the destination rising 21% compared to the same period last year. Spain followed with an impressive 35% increase, while Thailand (+22%), the Netherlands (+9%) and the United Kingdom (+79%) completed the top five most popular destinations.

The US remained GHA's largest international source market, generating 18% of international room revenue, followed by the UK, China, Germany and Australia.

Travel patterns varied significantly by market, highlighting distinct regional preferences. American travellers spread their overseas trips across the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, while UK members favoured Mediterranean destinations, particularly Spain and Portugal, alongside Italy. Thailand remained the preferred long-haul destination for British travellers.

German members showed a preference for the Netherlands, Spain, Thailand and Italy, while Australians largely opted for destinations closer to home, with Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Fiji among their favourites. Chinese travellers primarily chose Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia for their international trips.

The travel trends were released as GHA reported strong growth across key business indicators during the first half of 2026, underlining sustained demand for international travel and growing member engagement across its global network.  -TradeArabia News Service