INTERNATIONAL arrivals in Europe has increased compared to the previous year, helped by the growth in longhaul markets, according to the Air Travellers’ Traffic Barometer produced by European Cities Marketing and ForwardKeys.
In 3Q2014, all international source markets grew five per cent year-on-year, mostly driven by longhaul travellers (up nine per cent), while the intra-European market (standing for 62 per cent of all arrivals in Europe) grew a modest two per cent.
Outstanding performers were China and the Middle East. While Ramadan’s end was the key trigger for arrivals from the Middle East, the Chinese increase had been constant in the quarter.
Specifically, Asia and the Oceania regions grew a collective 14 per cent, while the Middle East grew an astounding 21 per cent.
The top three cities in terms of volume remained London, Paris and Istanbul, while four Spanish cities jumped to the top 10 in terms: Valencia, Seville, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid.
