The Competitiveness of the European Union Tourism Industry

The competition is increasing in the tourism and hospitality industry worldwide, and the market is demanding higher levels of service, productivity, value, staff motivation, training, and improved customer relationships. Europe is without discussion the world's most important tourism market. In this chapter, the competitiveness of the tourism industry in the European Union is examined. Firstly, competitiveness in the tourism industry and factors determining destination competitiveness are discussed. Secondly, key characteristics and competitiveness of the European Union tourism industry are analyzed. Then the tourism in Europe is investigated in eight key areas. Each of these key areas is examined through Eurostat statistics and reports. SWOT Analysis of the European Union Tourism Industry is carried out. Finally, the challenges that the outcomes of the SWOT Analysis bring out for the European Union tourism industry in order to enhance competitiveness are discussed.