Spain Joins United Kingdom and Other Nations Target American Tourists to Make Pocket Full of Money from Tourism Revenue
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Spain joins the United Kingdom and other nations in targeting American tourists, chasing bigger tourism revenue and a fuller pocket. New routes and regional campaigns are reshaping Europe’s tourism race. European tourism authorities are sharpening their focus on American travellers, with destinations across the continent investing in targeted marketing campaigns, airline partnerships, luxury travel programmes and regional tourism initiatives.
Spain joins the United Kingdom and other European nations in a fierce push to target American tourists and unlock more tourism revenue. The strategy is straightforward: make travel easier, promote distinctive regions and turn rising US demand into higher visitor spending. Spain is using airline partnerships and direct routes to put destinations such as Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela in front of American travellers. Meanwhile, Britain is expanding its own US-focused campaigns beyond London. Together, these moves reveal a wider European race for the American tourist, whose long-haul trips, accommodation, dining and experiences can generate valuable revenue for destinations and local businesses.
The strategy is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Rather than relying solely on established gateways such as London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Athens, tourism boards are attempting to encourage US visitors to explore lesser-known regions, extend their stays and spend more on accommodation, food, culture and experiences.
Official tourism data and government-backed initiatives show how destinations are competing for one of the world’s most valuable long-haul travel markets. From Britain’s screen tourism campaigns to Slovenia’s premium positioning, European countries are adapting their offer to changing American travel preferences.
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United Kingdom: Britain Uses Film, Culture and Regional Experiences
The United Kingdom remains one of Europe’s strongest destinations for American visitors, and VisitBritain continues to place the US at the centre of its international tourism strategy. The organisation forecasts 5.5 million US visits to the UK in 2026, with American visitors expected to generate around £7.5 billion in spending. Its ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign is using the popularity of British film and television to inspire travel beyond London. VisitBritain has also partnered with Expedia Group to promote destinations in North East England, Scotland and Wales. The approach reflects a broader effort to distribute American visitor spending across Britain.
Italy: Luxury Travel Meets Southern Italy
Italy is intensifying its efforts to attract American travellers, particularly affluent visitors booking through luxury travel advisers. ENIT, Italy’s national tourism agency, has been engaging directly with the US travel trade through events in cities including Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and Chicago. The strategy also increasingly connects destination promotion with air connectivity. ENIT supported promotional activity surrounding United Airlines’ New York–Bari service, highlighting Puglia, Basilicata and Southern Italy. The campaign generated millions of views and significant social-media engagement. By combining luxury travel, gastronomy, heritage and new routes, Italy is attempting to persuade Americans to look beyond its best-known cities.
Spain: Direct Flights Open the Door to Regional Spain
Spain is using airline partnerships to strengthen its appeal among American travellers while promoting destinations beyond the country’s traditional tourism hubs. Turespaña, Spain’s national tourism organisation, has worked with United Airlines on promotional campaigns supporting routes connecting New York with Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela.
The initiatives give US travellers easier access to the Basque Country and Galicia, two regions with distinctive culinary, cultural and landscape attractions. Spain’s strategy demonstrates how direct air services can become part of destination marketing itself. Rather than simply selling Spain as a single national product, tourism authorities are increasingly presenting Americans with specific regional reasons to visit.
Portugal: Americans Become an Increasingly Valuable Market
Portugal has established itself as a major European destination for US travellers, with official tourism intelligence highlighting the scale and value of the market. Turismo de Portugal reported approximately 2.4 million US guests and 5.5 million overnight stays in 2025, generating about €3.14 billion in tourism receipts. The country’s promotional activity has highlighted its coastline, gastronomy, culture, nature and urban experiences. Portugal also benefits from its ability to offer several types of holiday within a relatively compact country. For American travellers seeking European culture, food, beaches and outdoor experiences, Portugal has positioned itself as an accessible alternative to some of Europe’s more crowded destinations.
Slovenia: Small Destination, Big American Ambitions
Slovenia is emerging as one of Europe’s more ambitious destinations in the US market. The Slovenian Tourist Board reported more than 200,000 American visitors in 2025, producing almost 449,000 overnight stays. Both figures increased by about 11% year on year. The country has subsequently expanded its marketing through digital campaigns, international media partnerships and relationships with American travel organisations. Slovenia is promoting nature, gastronomy, wellness, sustainability and premium experiences rather than attempting to compete directly with Europe’s largest destinations. Planned United Airlines service between Newark and Ljubljana from May 2027 could provide another important boost to Slovenia’s American tourism strategy.
Austria: Targeting Affluent and Longer-Stay Visitors
Austria is concentrating on the quality as well as the quantity of American tourism. Austria Tourism reported a record 2.57 million US overnight stays in 2025, around 25% above the 2019 level. The destination is promoting experiences that appeal to travellers seeking more than conventional sightseeing, including gastronomy, wellness, nature and cultural activities. Another priority is encouraging Americans to travel outside the busiest periods of the year. Austria’s approach could help address seasonal pressure while increasing tourism revenue. Vienna and Salzburg remain important gateways, but the country’s wider strategy increasingly encourages visitors to discover Alpine regions, smaller communities and experiences beyond the traditional city itinerary.
Greece: Strong Air Connectivity Supports American Demand
Greece has developed one of Europe’s strongest relationships with the American travel market. Greece’s Ministry of Tourism reported 1.547 million American visitors in 2024, generating approximately €1.58 billion in tourism receipts. US arrivals continued to grow during 2025, while tourism revenue increased at a faster rate. Direct air connectivity has been central to this expansion, with extensive services linking the eastern United States with Athens. Greece is also seeking to strengthen its digital presentation and promote experiences centred on authenticity and quality. The country’s established appeal in island holidays, history, food and Mediterranean lifestyle gives it a particularly strong proposition for American leisure travellers.
Malta: A Focus on Luxury and MICE Tourism
Malta is taking a more specialised approach to the American market by focusing on luxury travel and MICE tourism — meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. The Malta Tourism Authority conducted a multi-city North American roadshow covering New York, Chicago and Toronto, introducing Maltese tourism suppliers to travel professionals. The strategy takes advantage of Malta’s combination of Mediterranean scenery, historic architecture, cultural heritage and compact geography. Instead of competing solely for mainstream leisure visitors, Malta is seeking higher-value business and luxury travellers who can generate significant expenditure. Its English-speaking environment and extensive heritage offer additional advantages when targeting the US travel trade.
Finland: Selling Nature, Wellness and the Art of Slowing Down
Finland is approaching American travellers through a distinctly different tourism proposition. Visit Finland has promoted the country’s lakes, forests, sauna culture, wellness and slower pace of life through campaigns built around the idea of ‘chilling like a Finn’. The positioning responds to growing interest in restorative holidays and experiences that offer a break from busy urban lifestyles. Finnish Lakeland is particularly suited to this strategy, with nature-based accommodation and outdoor activities providing an alternative to conventional European sightseeing. By marketing tranquillity rather than simply landmarks, Finland is attempting to establish a distinctive identity among American travellers searching for wellness, nature and authentic local experiences.
Ireland: Culture and Heritage Remain Powerful US Attractions
Ireland has maintained a particularly strong connection with the American tourism market, supported by longstanding cultural, historical and ancestral links. Fáilte Ireland continues to work with international travel buyers and operators to strengthen the country’s overseas tourism business. American visitors are especially relevant to Ireland’s proposition because the destination combines heritage, landscapes, cultural experiences, food and hospitality within a relatively compact geography. Trade events such as Meitheal provide Irish tourism businesses with opportunities to meet international buyers and develop new itineraries. Ireland’s strategy therefore combines traditional strengths, including heritage tourism, with increasingly sophisticated international trade and destination marketing.
Europe Competes for the Next Generation of American Travellers
The growing US-focused activity across Europe reveals a broader transformation in destination marketing. Tourism authorities are increasingly treating American travellers as a sophisticated audience with diverse interests rather than as a single mass market.
Air connectivity remains fundamental. A new direct flight can immediately make a previously overlooked region more accessible. However, airlines alone cannot determine where travellers ultimately spend their money. Tourism boards are therefore linking new routes with targeted campaigns, travel-adviser partnerships and digital storytelling.
The second major trend is regionalisation. Italy is promoting Puglia and Southern Italy; Spain is highlighting Bilbao and Galicia; Britain is pushing Scotland, Wales and northern England; and Slovenia is building recognition for a destination that historically attracted fewer Americans than Europe’s major tourism powers.
High-Value Experiences Become the Common Thread
Another consistent theme is the pursuit of higher-value tourism. Luxury travel, gastronomy, wellness, nature, cultural experiences and longer stays feature prominently in national tourism strategies.
This matters because American long-haul visitors can represent substantial economic value. Portugal’s official tourism data, for example, demonstrates the considerable revenue generated by the US market, while Austria’s record overnight figures show how American demand has recovered and expanded beyond pre-pandemic levels.
For European destinations, the objective is consequently not simply to increase visitor numbers. It is to attract travellers who stay longer, travel more widely, visit during quieter periods and spend across a broader range of local businesses.
“Spain’s growing focus on American tourists reflects a significant shift in European destination strategy. The competition is no longer limited to iconic capitals. Countries are increasingly promoting regional destinations, improving connectivity and creating specialised experiences for travellers from the United States. This is a positive development for the wider tourism economy because it can distribute visitor spending across more communities and businesses. Spain’s approach, alongside Britain’s ambitious US marketing efforts, demonstrates how smart destination promotion can turn connectivity and consumer interest into measurable economic opportunities. For travellers, this competition should create more choices. For the European tourism industry, it represents a powerful opportunity to build stronger, more valuable and more diverse international demand.”
— Anup Kumar Keshan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World
The American Traveller Is Becoming a Key European Tourism Battleground
Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Austria, Greece, Malta, Finland and Ireland are taking different approaches, but their objectives increasingly overlap.
They want American travellers to discover more, stay longer and spend locally.
For the biggest destinations, that means spreading demand beyond overcrowded capitals and iconic attractions. For smaller countries, it means using direct connectivity, distinctive experiences and targeted US marketing to gain visibility.
The result is a more competitive European tourism landscape in which the American visitor is becoming increasingly important — not only as a source of international arrivals, but as a high-value traveller capable of supporting destinations, airlines, hotels, restaurants and regional economies well beyond Europe’s traditional tourism centres.
American travellers remain an important source of long-haul tourism spending for Europe. Answer: Spain, the United Kingdom and other nations are responding with targeted campaigns, airline partnerships and regional promotion. Reason: Direct connectivity can make lesser-known destinations easier to reach, while specialised marketing gives American tourists stronger reasons to visit them. Spain’s focus on Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela illustrates this approach, while Britain is promoting regional experiences through campaigns linked to film, television and culture. The wider objective is not simply to increase arrivals. European destinations want Americans to stay longer, explore more places and spend more across hotels, restaurants, attractions and local businesses.
Spain’s latest American-market push highlights how intensely European destinations are competing for tourism revenue. The United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Austria, Malta, Finland and Ireland are pursuing their own strategies, but the goal is increasingly similar: attract high-value American tourists and encourage them to travel beyond the continent’s traditional hotspots. Spain’s airline partnerships demonstrate the importance of direct connectivity, while Britain’s regional campaigns show how culture can influence travel decisions. This competition could benefit travellers by creating more routes, broader destination choices and new experiences outside crowded capitals. For European tourism businesses, however, the stakes are financial. American visitors can support hotels, restaurants, attractions, airlines and regional economies. The emerging race is therefore about more than visitor numbers. It is about capturing a larger share of American travel spending and converting growing demand into sustainable tourism revenue across Europe.
References
- VisitBritain — United States Market and Tourism Forecasts
https://www.visitbritain.org/research-insights/inbound-markets/united-states-america-usa - VisitBritain — “Starring GREAT Britain” Campaign
https://www.visitbritain.org/news-and-media/industry-news-and-press-releases/visitbritain-leads-tourism-programme-largest-ever - Turismo de Portugal — United States of America Market Intelligence
https://travelbi.turismodeportugal.pt/en/markets/united-states-of-america/ - Visit Portugal — “Close to US. Close to Portugal.” Campaign
https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/close-to-us - ENIT — Italy and the United States: Strong Interest in Italy
https://www.enit.it/en/the-united-states-confirms-strong-interest-in-italy-enit-at-the-signature-travel-network-regional-events - ENIT — New York–Bari: Promotion of Southern Italy in the US Market
https://www.enit.it/en/new-yorkbari-enit-promotes-the-launch-of-the-new-united-airlines-flight - Turespaña — Spain and United Airlines Tourism Promotion Agreements
https://www.tourspain.es/es/notas-prensa-turismo/convenios-turespana-united-airlines-2026/ - Slovenian Tourist Board — US Market and New York–Ljubljana Air Connectivity
https://www.slovenia.info/en/press-centre/press-releases/39581-direct-new-york-ljubljana-air-link-marks-a-major-milestone-for-slovenian-tourism - Austria Tourism — United States as a Growth Market
https://b2b.austria.info/de-at/newsroom/2026/wm-auftakt-mit-fokus-auf-den-wachstumsmarkt-usa-hochkaraetiges-fruehstueck-von-oesterreich-werbung-und-oesterreichisch-amerikanischer-gesellschaft/ - Greek Ministry of Tourism — Greece Attracts American Travellers
https://mintour.gov.gr/h-ellada-proselkyei-toys-amerikanoys-epafes-tis-ypoyrgoy-toyrismoy-olgas-kefalogianni-sti-nea-yorki/ - Greek Ministry of Tourism — New Visit Greece Digital Platform
https://mintour.gov.gr/i-ypoyrgos-toyrismoy-paroysiase-to-neo-visitgreece-gr-nea-epochi-gia-tin-psifiaki-provoli-toy-ellinikoy-toyrismoy/ - Malta Tourism Authority — US Roadshow for Luxury and MICE Tourism
https://vmim.visitmalta.com/en/news-article/malta-tourism-authority-hosts-first-multi-city-us-roadshow-promote-malta-luxury-and-mice-travel/ - Visit Finland — “Learn to Chill Like a Finn” Campaign
https://media.visitfinland.com/en/media-press-releases/learn-to-chill-like-a-finn-in-2026/ - Fáilte Ireland — Business of Tourism Report 2026
https://www.failteireland.ie/en/research-and-insights/business-of-tourism-report-2026 - Fáilte Ireland — Meitheal 2026 International Tourism Trade Event
https://www.failteireland.ie/en/press-releases/tourism-showcase-meitheal-2026 - European Travel Commission — Promoting Europe in the United States
https://etc-corporate.org/promoting-europe-in-the-usa/
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