New FREETOUR.com data reveals major shift in global travel demand toward cultural, value-driven destinations

FREETOUR.com, the marketplace for free walking tours, has released new multi-year data highlighting a significant realignment in global travel demand. Drawing on historical booking patterns from 2023–2024 and advance bookings for late 2025, the platform’s analysis points to a long-term shift toward culturally rich, affordable and winter-strong cities – while traditional Western European destinations face softening demand.

The findings are based on verified comparisons of full Q4 data for 2023 and 2024, October performance for 2023–2025 and pre-booking trends for November and December 2025. According to FREETOUR.com, the magnitude and consistency of these shifts indicate a structural evolution within European and global travel behaviour, rather than year-to-year fluctuations.

Strongest Performers: Athens, Paris, Vienna, Rome and Madrid

In the Q4 2024 versus Q4 2023 comparison, several destinations delivered robust growth. Athens led with a 56% increase in bookings, followed by Paris and Vienna at +35%, Rome at +29% and Madrid at +13%. These cities benefited from strong cultural programming, enhanced off-season value and a rising preference for avoiding peak-summer travel. Vienna’s performance is particularly notable due to its winter appeal, supported by Christmas markets and stable seasonal pricing.

Destinations Losing Momentum: Barcelona, Florence, Budapest and London

At the same time, top Western European hubs faced declines. Barcelona bookings fell by 28% year-on-year, while Florence dropped by 21%. These reductions are linked to elevated travel costs, overtourism fatigue and lower long-haul arrivals – especially from the North American market. Budapest posted a mild decline of 4%, while London remained essentially flat.

Three-Year October Comparisons Show Structural Changes

A “three Octobers” analysis (2023 → 2024 → 2025) reveals deeper shifts. Major cities including Rome and Florence saw year-on-year declines of 24% for October 2025, while Athens dropped by 33%, Milan by 19% and Budapest by 10%. In contrast, Vienna surged by 30% between October 2024 and October 2025, while Barcelona stabilised slightly. Naples, Palermo and Krakow also showed resilience and unexpected strength, and Tokyo emerged as a rising global contender.