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Tourism thrives in Europe but storm clouds are visible
European tourism performance exceeded expectations last year despite higher fuel prices, higher taxes, more security rules at airports and erratic weather across the continent.
These are the findings of the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) European Tourism Insights 2007 report which concludes that international arrivals and overnight volume rose by 4-5% compared to the year before, beating forecasts made by the World Tourism Organisation.
The figures show that a good chunk of the increase came from the short breaks market however they did reveal that people taking more short breaks came from secondary markets while leading market travellers were showing signs of cutting back on taking several shorter holidays a year.
Big performers in terms of increased tourism growth for 2007 were Montenegro, Serbia, Iceland and Turkey, all gaining 20% or more, while Greece, Lithuania and Malta also enjoyed double digit growth in arrivals, although not in nights stayed – indicating short break popularity to these destinations.
The Commission warned that although Europe was a strong performer and still a world leader in attracting tourists, there may be rough seas ahead with the strong euro against the dollar deterring visitors alongside tough EU visa policies, the 2008 Summer Olympics stay-at-home factor and ailing worldwide economies.
The ETC also fired a warning shot across the boughs of European governments which it accused of not taking tourism to heart, instead leaving the industry to the private sector and deciding it did not merit public money.
ETC Executive Director Rob Franklin said: “By contrast, governments of many emerging economies have earmarked tourism as a means of diversification and, as a result, are making huge investments in tourism infrastructure development and marketing to support the sector, as well as facilitating and stimulating private sector investment in tourism.â€
By Dinah Hatch
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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