Europe at Present [Spring 2003]

Tourism in Europe

Europe generates more than half of total international tourist arrivals. The rate of growth since 1990 has been equal to the world average. Within the continent, it is the big urban centers of the Western European countries that generate the most tourists.

According to results in 2000 an estimated number of 699 million international tourist arrivals were recorded. Of all international tourists in the world the majority travel to or within Europe. Together they generated over 403 million arrivals in 2000. Europe is still the main tourist-receiving region. But since other regions are growing at a faster pace, its respective share in the world total shows a declining tendency. In 2000 Europe accounted for 58 per cent.

In 2000, 46 countries recorded more than US$ 1 billion in international tourism expenditure (excluding international fare expenditure), with the big industrial economies clearly in the lead. The United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan top the list with spending ranging from US$ 30 billion to US$ 65 billion. These four countries represent over one-third of international tourism expenditure worldwide. France, Italy, Canada and the Netherlands are the next on the list. Each of these countries spends between US$ 11 and 18 billion, adding up to 12 per cent of worldwide international tourism expenditure.

The substantial growth of tourism in Europe and in the whole world activity clearly marks tourism as one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena of the past century. The number of international arrivals shows an evolution from a mere 25 million international arrivals in 1950 to the 699 million of 2000, corresponding to an average annual growth rate of 7 per cent. In the same period, international tourism receipts, at current prices and excluding international transport costs, had an average annual growth rate of 11 per cent.

Europe is still the main tourist-receiving region. From 1950 to 2000, international tourist arrivals in that region grew at an average annual growth rate of 6.6 and 5.9 per cent. In absolute terms, they registered an additional 387 million with respect to the number registered in 1950.

According to figures up to 1998, leisure, recreation and holidays still represent the main purpose of visit in Europe, accounting for 62 per cent. Business travel accounts for 18 per cent of the total, the remaining 20 per cent being represented by other motives, i.e. visiting friends and relatives, for religious purposes/pilgrimages, for health treatment and other. In the last ten years especially, the share of this last category has been rising. This pattern doubtless mirrors the aforementioned trend towards market diversification and the division of holidays, with people travelling for shorter periods of time and for different reasons. This increase has basically detracted from the share of total trips made for leisure, recreation and holiday purposes, the share ascribed to travel for business and professional purposes having remained relatively stable.

Europe, where most of the countries are relative by small and partly or completely landlocked, is characterized by the large share of road and rail transport as the means of entering the destinations in the region.

Europe was the star performer of world tourism in 2000, with tourists attracted to Germany for Expo2000 and to Italy for the Vatican Jubilee. Eastern European countries recovered following the Kosovo conflict and Turkey recuperated after 2 years of declining tourism due to instability and natural disasters. Croatia continued its strong expansion with an interruption of 1-year (1999) adding 2 million arrivals. Significant progress was also made by Slovenia (+23%), the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (+24%) and the Russian Federation (+15%). Despite their cooler temperatures, northern countries emerged as the year’s ‘hot’ destinations, especially Iceland (+15%), Finland (+10%) and Estonia (+16%).

The total tourist arrivals by region show that by 2020 Europe will be the top receiving region (717 million tourists). Europe will maintain the highest share of world arrivals, although there will be a decline from 60 per cent in 1995 to 46 per cent in 2020.⁵³³

ITALY

Italy is one of the most visited tourist countries at all. According to results in 2001, an estimated number of 39.0 million tourist arrivals were recorded. In 2001 Italy generated 25.9 billion dollars of income and spend 14.2 billion dollars on developing tourism. ⁵³⁴

Situated in Mediterranean Europe, it has land frontiers with France in the north-west, Switzerland and Austria in the north and Slovenia in the north-east.The peninsula is surrounded by the Ligurian Sea, the Sardinian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, the Sicilian Sea and the Ionian Sea in the south and the Adriatic Sea in the east. The islands of Elba, Sardinia, Ischia, Capri, the Aeolians and Sicily lie offshore.⁵³⁵

ENVIRONMENT

There is a great deal of variety in the landscape in Italy, although it is characterized predominantly by two mountain chains: the Alps and the Apennines. The former extends over 600 miles from east to west. It consists of great massifs in the western sector, with peaks rising to over 14,000 feet, including Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc), Monte Rosa and Cervino (the Matterhorn). The chain is lower in the eastern sector, although the mountains, the Dolomites, are still of extraordinary beauty.⁵³⁶

The Po River Valley in the country's northeast forms the largest lowland area, and is heavily populated and industrialized as a result. Underground rambunctiousness is evident from the country's three active volcanoes - Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Vesuvius near Naples and Etna on Sicily - and the devastation wrought by earthquakes, especially fierce in 1908 and 1980. Beauty abounds in Italy but, unfortunately, so does pollution, particularly in the big cities and along the coast.⁵³⁷

Italy's climate varies from north to south and from lowland to mountain top. Winters are long and severe in the Alps, with snow falling as early as mid-September. The northern regions experience chilly winters and hot summers, while conditions become milder as you head south. The sirocco, the hot and humid African wind that affects regions south of Rome, produces at least a couple of stiflingly hot weeks in summer.⁵³⁸

Therefore, Italy is at its best in spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November). During these seasons, the scenery is beautiful, the temperatures are pleasant and there are relatively few crowds. August, is the time that most Italians take their vacations, so many shops and businesses are closed as a result.

The ski season generally lasts from December to late March; sea swimming is best between June and September; and July and September are the best months for walking in the Alps. The further south you go, the longer you can linger into November and December without feeling the pinch of winter. ⁵³⁹

ROME

It is a vast city, but the historic centre is quite small. Most of the major sights are within a reasonable distance of the central railway station. The Palatine Hill and the Forum are the centre of ancient Rome. Via del Corso runs north from the Forum to Piazza del Popolo, with the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain just to its east. The fountain attract more tourist coins than any other fountain in Rome, due to the clever rumour that a thrown coin will ensure your return to the Eternal City. The Vatican is northwest of the Forum, across the River Tiber.⁵⁴⁰

The commercial, political and religious centre of ancient Rome, the Forum spreads along the valley floor between the Capitoline and Palatine hills. It was constructed over about 900 years, with buildings sitting in juxtaposition with temples from the Imperial era. The site's disrepair and disintegration into pastureland mirrored the fall of the Roman Empire, and ⁵⁴¹excavations have been underway since the 18th century. The Forum is entered from the piazza leading from the Colosseum - that house of horrors, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre.

You immediately enter another world: the past. Columns rise from grassy hillocks, and repositioned pediments and columns aid the work of the imagination. Just some of the many must-sees include the Arch of Septimus Severus, the Temple of Saturn, the House of the Vestals, the Temple of Antoninus & Faustina and the Arch of Titus.

From the Forum, you can climb the Palatino - where the wealthy and powerful built their palaces and personal temples. A layer of medieval churches and Renaissance gardens and villas transformed the hilltop ruins into a magical, ivy- and agapanthus-covered land of grottos and secret vistas. Look out for the House of Livia, the Domus Augustana, the Palace of the Flavians and the ruins of the Baths of Septimus Severus. You can look down on ruins of the Circus Maximus, though not much remains of what was once a chariot racetrack that held more than 200,000 spectators.⁵⁴²

Random Roman Relics

The Appian Way, the more than two-millennia-old road that runs all the way from Rome to Brindisi, is littered with monuments, in particular the Circus of Maxentius, and Roman tombs, such as the Tomb of Cecilia Metella. The route is also known for its catacombs - tunnels carved into the volcanic rock that were the meeting and burial places of Rome's persecuted early Christians. The atmospheric tunnels are not for the claustrophobic, overweight or chronically unfit.⁵⁴³

Holy See

Rome's mild climate makes it visitable year-round; however, spring and autumn are without doubt the best times to visit, with generally sunny skies and mild temperatures (although late autumn, November, can be rainy). Unfortunately, these times are also the peak tourist season. July and August are unpleasantly hot, and Romans traditionally desert the stiflingly hot city in August, with many businesses closing. From December to February there is briskly cold weather, although it's rarely grey and gloomy. ⁵⁴⁵

Events-wise, Italy's calendar bursts year-round with cultural events ranging from colourful traditional celebrations with a religious and/or traditional flavour, through to cultural events. Summer is definitely the best time to visit and catch the best of the festivals; however, the Romaeuropa festival is now a feature of the autumn calendar, the Roma opera season runs from December until June and the classical and contemporary music scene is lively all year round. ⁵⁴⁶

VENICE

Venice is simply unique. For a thousand years the city led an independent existence as one of the most enduring mercantile sea powers in history. Today the brilliance and influence have long since faded, leaving a town of tarnished glories that's out of time and out of place, so achingly beautiful and complete it's hard not to look for evidence of props. This is a pedestrian's city on a very human scale; cars are almost nonexistent, and beguiling narrow paths take the place of ugly city roads. The harmonious architecture seems to have sprung uniformly from somewhere between the 12th and 16th century, its secretive walls and enticing balconies sparkling with flashes of water glimpsed through cracks and windows. Dark paths suddenly emerge into the clear, bright daylight of a pigeon-packed piazza or cross the city's myriad canals by way of numerous and wonderful little bridges. The atmosphere is magical and inexplicably festive. ⁵⁴⁷

The city is built on 117 small islands,has 150 canals and 409 bridges. The Grand Canal insinuates itself around the city, emerging at the unforgettable vista of Piazza San Marco, boasting its campanile, Doges' Palace, St Mark's Basilica and elegant piazza. The Bridge of Sighs links the palace to the gloomy old prisons, and the bobbing gondolas are overlooked by the stunning Santa Maria della Salute, San Giorgio Maggiore and del Redentore churches. To appreciate the fine palaces that line the Grand Canal,you can take a gondola.⁵⁴⁸

St Mark's Basilica

The basilica's many treasures include the gleaming Pala d'Oro altarpiece of gold, enamel and precious jewels. The Tesoro (Treasury) contains most of the booty from the 1204 raid on Constantinople, including a thorn said to have come from the crown worn by Christ. On the loggia above the main door are copies of the delightful prancing horses that were also hijacked from Constantinople (the gilded-bronze originals are on display inside). The basilica's 10th-century campanile collapsed without warning on 14 July 1902, and was rebuilt brick by brick over the following 10 years.⁵⁴⁹

St.Mark’s Square

The Gallerie dell'Accademia houses Venice's single most important art collection, brilliantly illustrating the progression of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th centuries.⁵⁵⁰

The winding Canal Grade, once described as the finest street in the world, with the finest houses. Venice is surrounded by equally enchanting islands: the Lido, Murano (the home of Venetian glass), Burano (famous for its lace) and strangely time-warped Torcello, with its Byzantine cathedral.⁵⁵¹

It's almost always high season in Venice, although the city is busiest in spring (Easter-June) and Sept-Oct. Like Italy's other great tourist hubs, Venice is at its worst in high summer (June-August): it's crowded and hot. The most pleasant time of year to visit is late March into May, with clear spring days and comparatively fewer crowds. September is the next best in terms of weather, but October is quieter. Flooding occurs in November and December, and winter can be unpleasantly cold - but seeing Venice under snow is the stuff of fairy tales.⁵⁵² There's no denying that the proud city of the winged lion is slowly expiring, attacked by submergence, neglect and pollution. Rationally speaking she shouldn't exist at all. Venice is too small and her attractions too dainty to cope with the mass tourism she receives year in, year out. The preservation of her crumbling monuments and churches is almost an industry; the debate on how to stem the Adriatic floods is never ending; and the battle to clean the lagoon of toxic petrochemical waste is highlighted by media reports on building subsidence and rotting foundations. Venice will have to pull a pretty good stunt to survive, but love her or loathe her, life without her is utterly unthinkable. ⁵⁵³

FLORENCE

Where Rome is a historical hot-pot, Florence is like stepping back into a Fiat and Vespa-filled Renaissance: the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, the trademark Duomo, the gem-filled Uffizi Gallery, the turreted Piazza della Signoria and the Medici Chapels. Florence has hundreds of hotels, hostels and private rooms, and more than 150 budget hotels; even so, it's best to book ahead. Hotels and pensions are concentrated near the train station and in the old section of the city, from the Duomo to the river. Tuscany is known for its fine culinary traditions - in particular, its olive oil, meat dishes and classic Chianti.⁵⁵⁵

Piazza del Duomo

MILAN

The huge city sprawls for miles, but the main historical attractions can be found between the two most important: the huge cathedral - commissioned in 1386 and still unfinished - and the spiky Sforza castle. The Piazza del Duomo is bordered by the world's most beautiful shopping mall: the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Also the most significant place is Teatro alla Scala. Its museum is pretty good too. Milan has plenty of art galleries and collections, but the most popular venue is the Vinciano Refector, which is home to the Last Supper. ⁵⁵⁸

ASSISI

Bologna offers a chance to rest and savour all the pleasures of Italian city life. Surrounded by hills, the city's centre is still much as it was during the Renaissance: dusky red-coloured buildings, wide piazzas and covered walkways with floors laid with marble. But Bologna provides the best of several worlds; it has beautiful piazzas, churches and museums, but is also a thriving university town, filled with cafes, bars and nightlife. ⁵⁶⁰

Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno

The wide street connecting the two piazzas is graced by an enormous fountain, the Fontana del Nettuno. The fountain, built in 1566, has bronze statuary by a Flemish sculptor, Jean Boulogne de Douai, who became so famous for the job he was nicknamed 'Giambologna'. A massive figure of Neptune stands on top of the fountain, trident in hand. Neptune is attended by four angels, symbolising the four winds, and four sirens - gleefully watching water spouting from their own breasts - representing the four continents known to the Renaissance world. ⁵⁶¹

Most people who visit Bologna spend a lot of time looking at the city's superb churches, museums and galleries. But the city is also famous for it's dining. Bologna's many restaurants, cafes and food stores offer excellent locally made delicacies and drinks: hand-made pasta in all kinds of sauces, delicious Mortadella (Bologna sausage), cheese, cakes, pastries, local wines like the Lambrusco red and the region's full, dry Sauvignon, and for desert- gelato. ⁵⁶²

SICILY

Other sights include the magnificent 12th-century cathedral at Monreale and the touristy but unmissable Taormina, with its Greek theatre, panoramic public gardens, palazzo, cathedral and beautiful beaches.⁵⁶³

The island of Sardinia has been colonised and invaded by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Pisans, Genoese and Spaniards. Through these ravages, the locals (known as the Sardi) have retained their identity and singularity, remaining strangely insular people. The landscape is rugged and the remaining wildlife distinctive, from albino donkeys to griffon vultures. Cagliari, the capital, is surprisingly attractive, with an interesting medieval section and a beautiful beach. Other attractions include the magnificent and relatively unspoiled Costa Verde coastline, the beaches and grottoes around the tourist enclave of Alghero, and the trekking and traditional culture offered in Nuoro Province. ⁵⁶⁴

If the museums, galleries and espresso are not enough to occupy the traveller’s time in Italy, there are plenty of options for the active and adrenalin-seeking. The Italian Alps, in particular the Dolomites, offer well-marked trails and strategically placed refuges for the long-distance hiker. Be prepared, even in summer, for sudden changes in the weather. The Apennines also have good hiking trails, especially in the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo and the Sila Massif in Calabria. Other options include the challenging but well-marked trails in the Apuane Alps in Tuscany, and the spectacular hikes in the rugged eastern ranges of Sardinia, such as Gennargentu.

There are plenty of excellent ski resorts in the Italian Alps - particularly in the Dolomites, which have the most dramatic scenery. The five major resorts are Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Veneto; Madonna di Campiglio, San Martino di Castrozza and Canazei in Trentino; and Courmayeur in the Valle d'Aosta. The ski season generally extends from December to late March, though there is year-round skiing on Mt Blanc, the Matterhorn and in the Valle d'Aosta.

Windsurfing and sailing are extremely popular, and at most beach resorts it's possible to rent boats and equipment. Cycling is a great way to see the country. The only problem is that 75% of Italy is mountainous or hilly, so some stamina and a good bike will be needed. Popular cycling areas include the hills of Tuscany, and the Valnerina in Umbria.⁵⁶⁵

Of all the countries in the world, there is none more magical than Italy, a traveller’s dream destination. Ancien monuments and archeological sites are perfectly preserved. All its treasures come packaged in a gorgeous country of majestic mountains, placid lakes, idyllic islands, splendid cities and wonderful walled villages. An ideal climate plus warm and gracious people make Italy a perfect destination for an active vacation, the art lover, the gourmand, the hedonist combined, why not, with business. Its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduce just about everyone.⁵⁶⁶