Business Forum • 25 May, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Romanian travellers are turning the 1 June long weekend into an early-summer getaway moment, according to Kiwi.com booking data.
For trips taking place between May 29 and June 5, bookings made by Romanian-nationality travellers are up 60.7% year-on-year, while passenger numbers increased by 58.2% compared with the same travel window in 2025.
The data points to a rise in travel appetite ahead of the traditional summer peak. However, this year's calendar also plays a role: in 2026, Whit Monday falls on June 1, creating demand around the Children's Day long weekend. By contrast, in 2025 Whit Monday fell on June 9, outside the analysed window.
For the May 29 - June 5 window, bookings by Romanian travellers increased by 60.7% year-on-year, while passenger numbers rose by 58.2%. The average number of passengers per booking remained stable, decreasing slightly by 1.5%. This suggests that the growth is being driven mainly by more people choosing to travel, rather than by larger groups or families booking together.
Despite the rise in demand, ticket prices for the long weekend window are lower year-on-year. The average air-ticket-only price per passenger decreased by 8.8%, from €126.14 in 2025 to €114.98 in 2026. The median ticket price fell by 11.1%, from €107.96 to €96.00. The decline is mostly visible on short and medium-haul routes, which account for the majority of analysed bookings.
International demand is led by Italy and Spain. Italy recorded a 57.3% increase in passenger numbers, while Spain grew by 73.7%, followed by the United Kingdom (+90.7%), Portugal (+195.2%) and Germany (+69.7%). At city level, the gains came from London (+98.8%), Milan (+48.8%), Barcelona (+90.0%), Brussels (+88.5%) and Alicante (+157.1%).