Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Be able to locate gateways and
leisure destinations within the
European travel market
SECTION 1
Icebreaker
This unit is all about the location and appeal of European tr
a
vel destinations. Working by yourself, or in small groups
under the direction of your tutor, see how you get on with the following tasks to help you make a start on this
unit:
•
Name six countries that are members of
t
he European Union (EU);
•
Make a list of six holiday destinations in Europe that you would like to visit and give the reasons why each
appeals to you;
•
Name three winter sports re
s
orts in Europe that are popular with British people;
•
List four factors that m
i
ght affect the appeal of European destinations for British travellers;
•
Think of three Sp
a
nish coastal resorts and three Spanish cities that are popular with British tourists;
•
Name three factors that might affect the future development of European holiday destinations;
•
Name two
popular festivals that take place in European holiday destinations.
When you've fi nished, show your answers to your tutor and compare your answers with what other groups in your
class have written.
Europe is the world's number one destination for
international travel - more people choose destinations
in Europe for their holidays than in any other region
of the world. Statistics from the World Tourism
Organisation indicate that Europe attracted more
than 460 million international tourist arrivals in 2009,
representing nearly 52 per cent of all trips around the
world. Tourists visit Europe for its rich architectural
and cultural heritage, coupled with a wealth of natural
attractions and cosmopolitan cities.
visitor numbers - France, Spain, Italy, UK, Germany
and Turkey. Some European countries, such as Spain,
Greece, Malta and Cyprus, rely very heavily on tourism
for their economic prosperity - tourism provides income
for businesses and jobs for a signifi cant number of their
people. Figures from the European Union indicate
that tourism generated nearly 266 billion Euros across
Europe in 2008 and contributed 5 per cent directly and
10 per cent indirectly to Europe's GDP, i.e. the total
output from all goods and services. Tourism in Europe
supports some 9.7 million direct jobs in the sector and
is the third largest economic activity in the EU after the
trade/distribution and construction sectors.
European countries
There are 49 countries in total in continental Europe,
many of which are popular tourist destinations with
thriving tourist industries. Europe boasts six of the
top ten tourist destinations in the world in terms of
European Union (EU) countries
Figure 7.1 lists the 27 Member States that are currently
part of the European Union. Three other countries -
