Despite ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Europe over the Trump administration's Greenland ambitions, travel advisors and suppliers said that Americans are not shying away from visiting the Continent this year.
Jeanne Polocheck
While some clients are asking about how Americans might be received abroad and are specifically requesting refundable airfares, all indicators point to another strong year of travel across the pond.
"Our business has actually blown up these past three weeks for clients looking to plan new trips to Europe," said Jeanne Polocheck, owner of Well Traveled Texan in Houston.
Furthermore, Polocheck said the agency has heard "not a peep from clients at all" regarding political tensions around Greenland.
Collette, The Travel Corp., Intrepid Travel, the Globus family of brands and Tauck have all said that Europe bookings are up for 2026, and none of the operators reported a meaningful increase in cancellations.
Intrepid's president of the Americas, Leigh Barnes, said some travelers were questioning the operator about how they would be received abroad.
"But that hasn't slowed demand," he said. "If anything, it shows people care about traveling respectfully, not that they want to stay home. There's curiosity, not fear. Americans are looking for guidance on how to show up well, not whether to go at all."
Already, Intrepid's 2026 Europe bookings are more than half of last year's total trips, Barnes said.
A January dip, but that's all
The Globus brands observed a brief dip in Europe bookings the week of Jan. 18, but that aligned with stock market trends, said Steve Born, chief marketing officer. Despite that, Europe bookings are pacing 5% ahead of this time last year, he said, led by Globus and Avalon Waterways.
Steve Born
Byrd Bergeron, CEO of The Travel Byrds in Cincinnati, also saw a January dip, specifically in lead conversions. She said her agency's lead count was up more than 65% in the beginning of January, but the conversion rate began to slip midmonth.
Bergeron attributed the dip to a "very distracting" world right now, which keeps consumers from pulling the trigger on booking trips.
Overall, she projects her agency will do about $21 million in sales this year. About 60% of that is Europe travel, with sales up 40% year over year and no cancellations due to the political climate. But she said she does believe the agency's rate of growth could slow, especially if the current protests around immigration enforcement continue.
"All of this said, demand for Europe is still very high, and we believe tourism will be strong in that area in 2026," she said.
Florence Brethome, an advisor with TravelStore in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., noted a dip in Europe interest in early January, but things have picked up, and she is now "busy as usual with Europe requests."
Clients are asking about the political tensions with Europe, and many are requesting refundable flights. Brethome also called travel insurance "a must."
Though some are nervous, she said, "they are forging ahead."
Byrd Bergeron
While they are still planning trips abroad, anti-American sentiment is definitely on clients' minds, Bergeron said. They are concerned that political actions by the U.S. could lead to unpleasant conversations with Europeans, which some have already experienced.
"We've had several instances in the last few months where a private driver or a guide wanted to talk about politics, but our clients did not, and the guide just didn't pick up on the hints," she said. "This can really put a damper on a vacation, especially if you're trying to escape those conversations."
Europe is the true hot spot for issues like that, she said, while people in destinations such as Central America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa are less likely to talk U.S. politics.