Recent surveys show that “city tourism” is the fastest growing and most profitable sector of the European tourism industry. This trend started around 3 years ago when low cost airline companies introduced reduced fares to Europe’s top destinations. Berlin, Barcelona and Prague remain the top destinations and most popular places to enjoy long weekends and sometimes honeymoons. The popularity of Prague has risen by around 60% in the past 5 years.
The internet is playing a vital role in travelling around Europe’s major cities. Whereas travellers in the past may have shied away from making the trip to a travel agency, the internet has greatly facilitated “self-service”: making reservations in hotels and booking flights. The British tend to be the most active in this area, booking more online trips than any other European Union nation. 36% of Europeans now book their holidays electronically.
Destinations such as the cities of the Baltic States have, in recent years, shot up the ladder of popularity. As Europe’s top low-cost airline companies are tending to increase the amount of cities they fly to, these trends are set to continue in the next few years.
