DESTINATIONS>Europe

According to the world tourism organization, in 2004 Europe travel destinations enjoyed the largest part of the international travel business, with 54% of the market, followed by Asia with 20% and then the Americas with 16%. Why are Europe travel destinations so popular? The reason to travel to Europe may be different for each traveler, but a few of the common reasons are:

Cultural Opportunities: For those interested in museums, arts, history, music or theater Europe travel offers nearly endless opportunity for cultural activity. From London to Paris to Rome to Amsterdam travelers can enjoy some of the most exciting cultural opportunities the world has to offer.

Landmarks: People like to visit and associate themselves with something (or someone) famous. Europe travel destinations are rich in famous landmarks. Some of the most well known landmarks of the world, from Big Ben, to the Eiffel Tower, to the Coliseum are located in Europe.

Roots: People like to visit the countries of their ancestors. Ancient Europeans were wanderers who put up stakes in destinations around the world. Their descendants are now traveling to Europe to return to their roots and see the places their forefathers once called home.

Variety: Where else can you enjoy such a diversity of culture, climate and geography over such a small distance. A traveler to the US will notice relatively small changes when traveling from L.A to New York City, a flight of approximately six hours. Language is the same, food is similar, and culture is not remarkably different. However, a two hour flight from Zurich, Switzerlandto Athens, Greece , will reward the traveler with an enormous difference that is immediately obvious. Everything from language, food to lifestyle is completely and utterly different. Distances in Europe are relatively small and cultural variety is large. This gives the traveler to Europe the opportunity of easily enjoying a diverse range of cultures and lifestyles by making a relatively low investment of time and money.