EU countries number one global tourist destination

July 20, 2012

The EU gained ground as a tourist destination in 2010. — Picture courtesy of shutterstock.comLONDON, July 20 — Out of all international tourists, 50.2 per cent chose a destination in the European Union for their vacation in 2010, according to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report published on July 19. The 34 OECD countries as a whole accounted for 66 per cent of global arrivals.

In 2010, tourist arrivals in OECD countries were up 4 per cent. The OECD comprises countries such as France, Germany, the US and many other Western countries.

The EU also welcomed more visitors in 2010 compared with the previous year, with a 2.7 per cent rise in tourist numbers.

The “OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2012” report also recommends boosting communication tools to promote tourism to OECD countries and to reinforce the attractiveness of tourism jobs, pillars of the industry. — AFP-Relaxnews