Europe, and the United Kingdom in particular, will gain the greatest growth in tourism over the next few years, a recent report predicts.(*) Increases in paid leave entitlements are encouraging more people to travel, especially in countries which traditionally lag behind, such as America, Japan and, to some extent, the United Kingdom. Elsewhere in western Europe, five or six weeks’ annual holiday is not unusual.
The report, by hotel consultants Horwarth & Horwarth, says that as countries with shorter leave entitlements catch up, there will be an increase in holidays to long-haul destinations and more short holidays taken domestically and on short-haul destinations.
Another factor for the future of tourism referred to in the report is that only 9.5% of American citizens currently hold passports.
As holiday entitlements in the United States increase and more Americans apply for passports, the volume of tourism to the United Kingdom could dramatically increase by the end of the century and well exceed the total of 2.3m American visitors to the United Kingdom in 1986.
(*) Worldwide Hotel Industry Report 1987. (Horwath & Horwath, 8 Baker Street London W1m IDA, £30).
