Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Know factors and features determining
the appeal of leisure destinations in the
European travel market for UK visitors
SECTION 3
We saw earlier in this unit that Europe is the most
popular region in the world for international tourism.
It has a very wide appeal to all types of visitors from
every corner of the globe. Some tourists are attracte
d
by Europe's beaches and coastal resorts, while oth
e
rs
enjoy the continent's rich history and cultural heritage.
Younger people may visit Europe to improve their
language skills, learn more about
d
estinations and
have fun in the vibrant cities and t
o
urist resorts found
in many countries. Figure 7.
6
s
u
mmarises the main
factors that help to determi
n
e
t
he appeal of European
travel destinations - we i
n
vestigate these further in the
following sections of th
i
s unit.
Economic
Accessibility
Factors
Cultural
Climate
Attractions
Accessib
i
lity
Fig 7.6 - Factors and features determining
the appeal of European destinations
Continental Europe is very accessible for British people
wanting to enjoy a short break, holiday, a visit to friends
and relatives or a business trip. According to fi gures from
the Offi ce for National Statistics (ONS), UK residents
made 45.9 million visits to European destinations in
2009, using the following modes of transport:
Europe has a well-established rail network that is
popular with tourists who enjoy the experience of
travelling by train and are not in such a hurry to reach
their destination. High-speed rail networks, such as the
TGV in France, offer a real alternative to air travel for
trips within Europe. The UK's fi rst high-speed rail link
from London to the Channel Tunnel opened in 2007,
cutting the fastest journey time from London to Paris
to just 2 hours and 15 minutes.
•
Air travel
34.6 million visits
•
Sea travel
6.9 million visits
•
Channel Tunnel
4.4 million visits
Air travel is clearly the most popular way for British
people to travel to destinations in Europe, although ferry
travel and trips through the Channel Tunnel are popular
with UK visitors to France and other nearby European
countries. The growth of low-cost airlines, such as
Ryanair, easyJet, bmibaby and fl ybe, has encouraged
more British people to visit Europe, boosting tourism
to destinations such as Prague, Barcelona, Valencia,
Berlin and Nice. The low-cost airlines often use smaller,
regional airports in Europe, thereby spreading the
benefi ts of tourism across a wider geographical area.
Climate
A destination's climate has a direct infl uence on its
appeal to visitors. Countries in southern Europe with
warmer climates and longer hours of sunshine appeal
to tourists from the north of the continent where the
climate is cooler, e.g. British people are attracted to the
warm temperatures found in Spain, Greece and Italy.
Winter sports destinations are found in mountainous
