Tirana: The Ultimate Destination for Italians

This summer, Italians traveling abroad are most frequently heading to the Albanian capital, Tirana, followed by the Greek island of Corfu and Paris. Remarkably, Japan is the only intercontinental destination to make it into the top ten.

This insight comes from Travel Trends, as reported by the Mastercard Economic Institute in its fifth edition. The ranking is based on data from flight reservations between June and August 2024, analyzing the share of each destination in total trips. By comparing these numbers to 2019 levels, the destinations with the greatest increase in popularity were identified.

Globally, Munich emerges as the most sought-after destination for the summer season. The Allianz Arena in Munich is set to host the opening match of the European Football Championship on June 14.

Tokyo ranks second on the global list. With the end of Covid restrictions and the full resumption of flights, Japan has seen an extraordinary influx of travelers, a trend bolstered by the continued depreciation of the yen. Europe takes the third spot with Tirana, which is also the top destination for flights departing from Italy.

Europe dominates the rankings for the top ten most sought-after markets over the last 12 months ending in March 2024, holding four of the top five positions.

In terms of tourist transaction volume, Japan leads, followed by Ireland and Romania. Bucharest's rise is attributed to Romania's recent accession to the Schengen area, prompting airlines to expand services to the country. This expansion has particularly attracted tourists from Spain, Sweden, and Denmark.