Europe still top travel destination but Canadians changing up where they visit
According to the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) latest quarterly ‘European Tourism Trends and Prospects’ report, destinations across Europe continue to show increasing numbers of tourist arrivals, although the rate of expansion was slower than previous years. Europe enjoyed a 4 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2019, the 10th consecutive year of growth, following the strong performance in 2018 (+6 percent).
The statistics were provided by the January 2020 UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.
The overall regional performance remains in positive territory however, challenges are posed by geopolitical tensions and weaker global economic activity. Increasing numbers of tourist arrivals generate income and support employment and investment in Europe, not only acting as a catalyst for economic expansion, but also contributing to and demonstrating the social and cultural value in the region.