In 2007, the European Union should comprise 27 countries with more than half a billion people - a process of change that offers both opportunities and challenges for the tourism industry. Germany already accounted for 15 per cent of all foreign travel from Eastern Europe in 2003. On the other hand, Germany is a large source market for travelling to Eastern European destinations. It can be assumed that this market segment will experience rapid growth in the future.

European destinations developed new strategies in order to survive international competition in the future. Socio-demographic changes, new consumer trends and destination volatility, new competitors and new technologies are just a few examples of dynamic developments in the tourism market that also require forward-looking strategies and innovative service offerings from established market players.

Against this background, the aim of the research project was to

  • the structure of the tourism markets in the accession states of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus, as well as in Bulgaria and Romania,
  • to highlight developments in holiday and business travel and
  • analyse possible changes in the supply and demand sector.

 

The focus was not only on infrastructures, tourist attractions and positions in international competition. Rather, the aim was to identify the guiding principles and strategies of both German and European destinations among the responsible tourism organisations.