Demand for tourism in Europe expected to continue an upward course this year

Published on : Tuesday, July 16, 2019

The latest quarterly report ‘European Tourism – Trends & Prospects 2019’ by the European Travel Commission (ETC) shows that demand for tourism in Europe is expected to continue an upward course this year.

In spite of unsure trade relationships between China and the US and a slowing Chinese travel demand, a growth rate of 3.6% is predicted, which is more in line with the annual historical average from 2008-2018, but lower than that of 2018.

The Balkan region became the top performer in terms of arrivals growth, with Montenegro exhibiting an increase of 50%. Slovenia and Greece were up by 8%, reflecting the benefits of expanded tourism season and niche marketing.

Montenegro has benefited from developed air transport accessibility and numerous promotional activities implemented by national tourism authorities. For Slovenia, a recent win for Ljubljana and Bled’s runner-up spot at the ITB Berlin shows the country’s efforts to attract travel demand.

In the case of Iceland, the recent collapse of low-cost carrier Wow Air in March have worsened this decline at the same time as the decrease in Estonia might have been due to the reduction in arrivals from Russia – one of its largest source markets.