Tourism Development in Europe

This publication contains the proceedings of two UNWTO conferences, 'Tourism: A Tool for Sustainable Development in Transition Economies', Belgrade, 20-21 June 2005 and 'Impact of European Union Enlargement on Tourism Development in Europe', Vilnius, 1-2 March 2006.

Tourism is a major force in the world economy, accounting for over 10% of global GDP. In 2004 there were 760m international arrivals, of which 55% were recorded in Europe. Although Europe continues to maintain a dominant position in the sector, other parts of the world have seen more rapid growth in recent years. However, the picture varies across the continent, with the transitional economies of Eastern Europe seeing a growth in international tourist arrivals that is slightly greater than the world average. These countries now account for around 20% of the European market.