Munich & Berlin, May 02, 2026 – Dr. Fried & Partner and ITB Berlin publish the latest results of the Global Travel Buyer Index (GTBI) for the second quarter of 2026. The GTBI is an industry indicator for tourism purchasing and is based on a quarterly survey of international buyers from the ITB Buyers Circle. The index provides valuable insights into the current market situation and the expectations of tourism buyers and serves as an early indicator for the development of the travel market.
In May 2026, the index shows a substantially weaker assessment of the current purchasing situation compared to the previous quarter. Expectations for the coming months are also considerably more cautious.
Global Travel Buyer Index – May 2026 (provided by Dr. Fried & Partner and ITB Berlin)
Current market situation: Assessment of purchasing activities declines
36% of respondents report an increase in purchasing volume over the past six months compared to the previous year, 27% see no change, while 37% report a decline. Regarding the proportion of fixed purchases, 34% of participants report an increase, 37% report a consistent proportion of fixed purchases, and 29% report a decrease. According to 53% of respondents, contractual expenditure in purchasing has increased, while 36% report no change and 11% report a decline.
The Current Situation Index falls to 71 points (February 2026: 84 points), reflecting a substantially weaker assessment of the current market situation compared to the previous quarter.
Future expectations: Expectations for the next six months considerably more cautious
Expectations for the coming six months are more cautious compared to the last survey. 33% of respondents anticipate an increase in their purchasing volume, 37% expect no change and 30% anticipate a decline. According to 35% of respondents, the proportion of fixed purchases is likely to increase, while 41% expect it to remain unchanged. In terms of contractual expenditure, 51% expect an increase, 33% expect stable conditions and 16% expect a decrease.
The Future Expectation Index falls to 72 points, signalling a considerably weaker outlook for the next six months (February 2026: 88 points).
Global Travel Buyer Index
The Global Travel Buyer Index (GTBI) falls substantially to 71 points in May 2026. The results indicate an overall weaker situation in tourism purchasing, accompanied by noticeably more subdued expectations for the coming months.
The latest GTBI results point to growing uncertainty in the international travel market. Possible contributing factors include the ongoing geopolitical tensions, particularly in connection with the Middle East crisis of recent weeks, a generally weaker economic outlook, as well as continued cost and planning uncertainties. Against this backdrop, tourism buyers appear to be acting more cautiously and are assessing both the current market situation and expectations for the coming months more conservatively.
The GTBI is updated quarterly and provides continuous market monitoring for tour operators, destinations and service providers.
About the sample
In May 2026, a total of 92 tourism buyers took part in the survey. The majority make purchases for the source markets Germany (23%), Europe (42%) and Asia (8%), while the remaining respondents make purchases for North America, South America, Africa, Oceania or for all source markets equally. The focus of procurement is particularly on hotels (85%), DMC services (54%), activities & events (50%) and transfers (47%).
In May 2026, a total of 92 tourism buyers took part in the survey. The majority make purchases for the source markets Germany, Europe and Asia, while the remaing respondents make purchases for Notrh America, South America, Africa, Oceania or for all source markets equally. The focus of procurement is particularly on hotels , DMC