According to Ticket – the largest private travel agency in the Nordics – one of the biggest changes between 2025 and 2026 is that Japan has entered the travel agency's top 10 list of the most booked travel countries, thus beating out Cyprus.
The US is the only country on the top list where travel bookings are declining. That's a drop of just over 21 percent compared to 2025. But this could change ahead of this summer's planned World Cup in the country.
"It puts the country in focus in a completely different way, and even if not everyone travels for the matches, it can help more people start looking at the USA as a travel destination again," says Tiyoneh Jah, PR & Communications Manager at Ticket, in a press release.
The travel agency compared bookings on December 17 this year with the same time last year.
When it comes to specific travel destinations, bookings to Alicante in Spain are up 43 percent, bookings to Rome in Italy are up 73 percent, while Paris has fallen off the top list.
"Competition between destinations has become tougher. Destinations that are not growing risk quickly losing positions when travel is redistributed. With increasing booking volumes and new favorites emerging, we are seeing increasingly tough competition between destinations," says Tiyoneh Jah at Ticket.
FACTS: This is where Swedes will travel in 2026
TT
Countries – top 10, with last year's ranking in parentheses:
1. Spain (1)
2. Thailand (2)
3. Italy (5)
4. Greece (4)
5. United Kingdom (6)
6. United States (3)
7. France (7)
8. Portugal (9)
9. Germany (8)
10. Japan (NEW)
Travel destinations – top 10
1. Gran Canaria (2)
2. Bangkok (1)
3. Malaga (3)
4. Alicante (5)
5. Phuket (4)
6. Barcelona (7)
7. Tenerife (6)
8. London (9)
9. Majorca (8)
10. Rome (new)
Source: Ticket booking statistics.
