Test Your Knowledge on Europe's Tourism Industry

Tourism in Europe: Diversity, Challenges, and Trends

• Europe is a continent of immense economic, social, and cultural diversity, with a rich mosaic of languages, cultural resources, and tourist attractions of world caliber.

• Europe faces new challenges from a resurgent Russia, Islamic fundamentalism, and growing pressure from Africa caused by poverty, the aspirations of a youthful population, and internal political changes.

• Europe's share of international tourism arrivals has fallen from 72% in 1960 to just over 50% in 2018, reflecting strong economic competition from North America and the BRIC countries.

• Europe dominates world tourism, accounting for half the world's receipts from international tourism and including five out of the world's top 10 destination countries.

• Europe's pre-eminence in the tourism system is due to its advanced economies, affluent and mobile population, high volume of short international trips, significant climatic differences, mature tourism infrastructure, and highly developed tourism sector.

• Europe's political and economic structures are stable, providing a safe environment for investment in tourism, and most European governments have well-funded, competent tourist authorities with marketing and development powers.

• Europe is physically a western extension of Asia, with two major physical/climatic divisions - north and south - separated by a series of mountain ranges, acting as a major influence on weather systems and a recreational and tourism resource for both winter sports and 'lakes and mountains' summer holidays.

• Europe's seas, especially the Mediterranean, are important for coastal tourism, but also suffer from pollution and degradation of marine ecosystems, with limited scope for international co-operation to mount clean-up operations.

• Europe has resisted the trend towards homogenization, with national and even regional cultures, languages, and traditions continuing to flourish, rooted in history and partly determined by language and religion.

• With a population approaching 700 million, Europe represents a major tourism market for both the region and elsewhere in the world, generating two-thirds of international tourism for leisure purposes, around 20% for business travel, and 15% for visiting friends and relatives.

• Western Europe takes the lion's share of international tourism with around one-third of arrivals, followed by southern Europe, with a share of over a quarter, but there are clear signs that the traditional flow of tourists from the northern industrial areas to the south is diminishing.

• Europeans will continue to take more, but shorter tourism trips, with short-break city and cultural tourism growing rapidly, traditional north-south holidays still significant, but east-west and west-east travel growing rapidly, and significant market segments for the growth of tourism being those aged over 55 years and under 25 years of age.

• The transport sector in Europe has been heavily influenced by deregulation, encouraging the development of regional airports and airlines, taking pressure from the very busy routes between major cities, and from the north to southern holiday destinations.Trends and Tourist Attractions in European Transport and Tourism

• Low-cost carriers are growing rapidly in Europe due to deregulation and increased competition, taking passengers from traditional charter airlines.

• Congestion in the skies over Europe is becoming acute, requiring a more unified system of air traffic control.

• The impact of 9/11 was severe on Europe's national scheduled airlines.

• The cross-Channel ferry industry has moved its activities to the western Channel to counter the effect of the Channel Tunnel, and the European rail network is investing in high-speed routes.

• Continued investment in rail transport will see a switch from road and air to rail travel, partly for environmental reasons.

• The disappearance of border controls across the region with the expansion of the EU encourages international travel.

• Mountain ranges act as a constraint on overland transport, although the Alps are no longer a formidable barrier with several tunnels, bridges, and passes allowing year-round travel.

• Southern Europe is characterized by a pleasure periphery of resorts in almost every country fringing the Mediterranean, complemented by cultural and heritage attractions in countries like Greece and Italy.

• The mountains of Europe, extending from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians, are a major summer and winter destination.

• The uplands of northern Europe cater to a regional or local market for outdoor recreation.

• The lowlands of Europe offer fewer natural attractions for tourism, but many major cities provide cultural and business opportunities.

• Theme parks and other market-based attractions have developed in response to demand from the urban populations of Western Europe.

Tourism in Europe: Diversity, Challenges, and Trends

• Europe is a continent of immense economic, social, and cultural diversity, with a rich mosaic of languages, cultural resources, and tourist attractions of world caliber.

• Europe faces new challenges from a resurgent Russia, Islamic fundamentalism, and growing pressure from Africa caused by poverty, the aspirations of a youthful population, and internal political changes.

• Europe's share of international tourism arrivals has fallen from 72% in 1960 to just over 50% in 2018, reflecting strong economic competition from North America and the BRIC countries.

• Europe dominates world tourism, accounting for half the world's receipts from international tourism and including five out of the world's top 10 destination countries.

• Europe's pre-eminence in the tourism system is due to its advanced economies, affluent and mobile population, high volume of short international trips, significant climatic differences, mature tourism infrastructure, and highly developed tourism sector.

• Europe's political and economic structures are stable, providing a safe environment for investment in tourism, and most European governments have well-funded, competent tourist authorities with marketing and development powers.

• Europe is physically a western extension of Asia, with two major physical/climatic divisions - north and south - separated by a series of mountain ranges, acting as a major influence on weather systems and a recreational and tourism resource for both winter sports and 'lakes and mountains' summer holidays.

• Europe's seas, especially the Mediterranean, are important for coastal tourism, but also suffer from pollution and degradation of marine ecosystems, with limited scope for international co-operation to mount clean-up operations.

• Europe has resisted the trend towards homogenization, with national and even regional cultures, languages, and traditions continuing to flourish, rooted in history and partly determined by language and religion.

• With a population approaching 700 million, Europe represents a major tourism market for both the region and elsewhere in the world, generating two-thirds of international tourism for leisure purposes, around 20% for business travel, and 15% for visiting friends and relatives.

• Western Europe takes the lion's share of international tourism with around one-third of arrivals, followed by southern Europe, with a share of over a quarter, but there are clear signs that the traditional flow of tourists from the northern industrial areas to the south is diminishing.

• Europeans will continue to take more, but shorter tourism trips, with short-break city and cultural tourism growing rapidly, traditional north-south holidays still significant, but east-west and west-east travel growing rapidly, and significant market segments for the growth of tourism being those aged over 55 years and under 25 years of age.

• The transport sector in Europe has been heavily influenced by deregulation, encouraging the development of regional airports and airlines, taking pressure from the very busy routes between major cities, and from the north to southern holiday destinations.Trends and Tourist Attractions in European Transport and Tourism

• Low-cost carriers are growing rapidly in Europe due to deregulation and increased competition, taking passengers from traditional charter airlines.

• Congestion in the skies over Europe is becoming acute, requiring a more unified system of air traffic control.

• The impact of 9/11 was severe on Europe's national scheduled airlines.

• The cross-Channel ferry industry has moved its activities to the western Channel to counter the effect of the Channel Tunnel, and the European rail network is investing in high-speed routes.

• Continued investment in rail transport will see a switch from road and air to rail travel, partly for environmental reasons.

• The disappearance of border controls across the region with the expansion of the EU encourages international travel.

• Mountain ranges act as a constraint on overland transport, although the Alps are no longer a formidable barrier with several tunnels, bridges, and passes allowing year-round travel.

• Southern Europe is characterized by a pleasure periphery of resorts in almost every country fringing the Mediterranean, complemented by cultural and heritage attractions in countries like Greece and Italy.

• The mountains of Europe, extending from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians, are a major summer and winter destination.

• The uplands of northern Europe cater to a regional or local market for outdoor recreation.

• The lowlands of Europe offer fewer natural attractions for tourism, but many major cities provide cultural and business opportunities.

• Theme parks and other market-based attractions have developed in response to demand from the urban populations of Western Europe.

Tourism in Europe: Diversity, Challenges, and Trends

• Europe is a continent of immense economic, social, and cultural diversity, with a rich mosaic of languages, cultural resources, and tourist attractions of world caliber.

• Europe faces new challenges from a resurgent Russia, Islamic fundamentalism, and growing pressure from Africa caused by poverty, the aspirations of a youthful population, and internal political changes.

• Europe's share of international tourism arrivals has fallen from 72% in 1960 to just over 50% in 2018, reflecting strong economic competition from North America and the BRIC countries.

• Europe dominates world tourism, accounting for half the world's receipts from international tourism and including five out of the world's top 10 destination countries.

• Europe's pre-eminence in the tourism system is due to its advanced economies, affluent and mobile population, high volume of short international trips, significant climatic differences, mature tourism infrastructure, and highly developed tourism sector.

• Europe's political and economic structures are stable, providing a safe environment for investment in tourism, and most European governments have well-funded, competent tourist authorities with marketing and development powers.

• Europe is physically a western extension of Asia, with two major physical/climatic divisions - north and south - separated by a series of mountain ranges, acting as a major influence on weather systems and a recreational and tourism resource for both winter sports and 'lakes and mountains' summer holidays.

• Europe's seas, especially the Mediterranean, are important for coastal tourism, but also suffer from pollution and degradation of marine ecosystems, with limited scope for international co-operation to mount clean-up operations.

• Europe has resisted the trend towards homogenization, with national and even regional cultures, languages, and traditions continuing to flourish, rooted in history and partly determined by language and religion.

• With a population approaching 700 million, Europe represents a major tourism market for both the region and elsewhere in the world, generating two-thirds of international tourism for leisure purposes, around 20% for business travel, and 15% for visiting friends and relatives.

• Western Europe takes the lion's share of international tourism with around one-third of arrivals, followed by southern Europe, with a share of over a quarter, but there are clear signs that the traditional flow of tourists from the northern industrial areas to the south is diminishing.

• Europeans will continue to take more, but shorter tourism trips, with short-break city and cultural tourism growing rapidly, traditional north-south holidays still significant, but east-west and west-east travel growing rapidly, and significant market segments for the growth of tourism being those aged over 55 years and under 25 years of age.

• The transport sector in Europe has been heavily influenced by deregulation, encouraging the development of regional airports and airlines, taking pressure from the very busy routes between major cities, and from the north to southern holiday destinations.Trends and Tourist Attractions in European Transport and Tourism

• Low-cost carriers are growing rapidly in Europe due to deregulation and increased competition, taking passengers from traditional charter airlines.

• Congestion in the skies over Europe is becoming acute, requiring a more unified system of air traffic control.

• The impact of 9/11 was severe on Europe's national scheduled airlines.

• The cross-Channel ferry industry has moved its activities to the western Channel to counter the effect of the Channel Tunnel, and the European rail network is investing in high-speed routes.

• Continued investment in rail transport will see a switch from road and air to rail travel, partly for environmental reasons.

• The disappearance of border controls across the region with the expansion of the EU encourages international travel.

• Mountain ranges act as a constraint on overland transport, although the Alps are no longer a formidable barrier with several tunnels, bridges, and passes allowing year-round travel.

• Southern Europe is characterized by a pleasure periphery of resorts in almost every country fringing the Mediterranean, complemented by cultural and heritage attractions in countries like Greece and Italy.

• The mountains of Europe, extending from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians, are a major summer and winter destination.

• The uplands of northern Europe cater to a regional or local market for outdoor recreation.

• The lowlands of Europe offer fewer natural attractions for tourism, but many major cities provide cultural and business opportunities.

• Theme parks and other market-based attractions have developed in response to demand from the urban populations of Western Europe.

Tourism and Accommodation in Europe: Trends and Organizations

• Accommodation and catering sectors in Europe are mainly composed of small businesses, with over half of UK's accommodation establishments being independently owned.
• Large hotel chains such as Accor are dominating the market due to globalization and expanding EU opportunities.
• Airbnb is rapidly penetrating major cities and resorts in Europe.
• Every country in Europe has a national tourism organization, supported by regional and local organizations, to develop and promote tourism.
• There is a trend towards devolution of tourism powers from national to regional levels, and involving the private sector in tourist boards' activities.
• The EU has been involved in the organization and administration of tourism since the Treaty of Rome in 1957.
• The Lisbon Treaty recognizes tourism's importance and the need to coordinate member states in maintaining Europe as the world's top destination.
• EU policies on regional development and transport have a significant impact on the tourism sector.
• The European Commission initiates and implements EU legislation, while the European Parliament amends it and supports tourism initiatives at EU level.
• The Council of Ministers represents the national interest of member countries, and the European Court of Justice adjudicates disputes over tourism policy.
• The European Investment Bank provides long-term loans and supports regional development, including tourism projects.
• The free movement of travelers within the EU involves the abolition of border controls under the Schengen Treaty, harmonization of taxes and duties, and the introduction of a single European currency.