Flows

Brexit uncertainty is set to drag into 2020. Despite Boris Johnson agreeing an amended version of Theresa May’s Brexit deal with the EU, and parliament supporting the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement for the first time, he failed to push the deal through ...

After several years of growth in tourism for Italy, and in particular for the Veneto region, there is some sign of maturity of demand for some of Italy’s traditionally popular destinations, such as beaches. Competition stems from alternative hot ...

The uncertain economic environment, mainly driven by Brexit affecting exchange rates and pushing inflation up, is affecting the UK travel industry. The negative sentiment surrounding Brexit is resulting in consumers travelling less frequently, ...

Slovenia’s excellent geographic location is often a disadvantage as the country is surrounded by more developed source markets such as Italy, Austria and Croatia. This puts the country in a rather inferior position when it comes to attracting ...

In July 2018, the UK government finally presented its Brexit white paper seeking a Free Trade Area for goods. With under six months until Brexit day, the plan has divided the government further. The risk of a No-Deal has increased as well as calls ...

The Croatian government and national tourist board’s strong investments in marketing the country as a tourist destination have borne fruit. While slower than earlier in the review period, the growth in inbound arrivals remains healthy in 2019. ...

Despite the 6-month closure of the Philippines’ top destination, the island of Boracay, inbound arrivals continued to increase in the country in 2018 and 2019. The emergence of alternative destinations, such as Siargao, Palawan and Bohol, has helped ...

2019 was another good year for inbound tourism. One of the main factors bosting arrivals was the different international events held in the country: Dakar 2019, South American Soccer Cup Sub 17 and the Pan American and Parapan American Games 2019. ...

International arrivals to Thailand continue to record robust growth in 2019 in terms of number of trips. Growth in the number of arrivals from China has remained strong, with Chinese trips accounting for more than a quarter of all inbound arrivals. ...

Inbound arrivals saw continued strong growth in 2019, as the Japanese Government worked towards the ambitious target of raising tourist numbers from less than 20 million in 2015 to 40 million by 2020 and 60 million by 2030. Government efforts to ...

2019 saw a decline in the levels of inbound arrivals to Chile. With main source countries from Latin America affected by economic crisis, the knock-on effect resulted in less money being spent on travel and tourism within Chile....

Countries in close proximity to Taiwan remained the biggest sources of inbound arrivals in 2019. China continued to be the most prominent source market, and registered growth after declines seen over 2016-2018. Flows from the second largest market, ...

Ukraine continues to develop as a travel destination, with arrivals growing in both number of trips and current value sales terms. Factors such as the improving economic and geopolitical situation and important sports and cultural events are ...

A concern for the Argentinian economy is the massive exit of money in US dollars without a counterpart in income. During the years of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s presidency, until the end of 2015, a tax of 35% was placed on foreign expenditure ...

December 2018 saw South Africa and Kenya launch a 10-year multi-entry business visa agreement which applies to the citizens of both countries. The formalisation of this agreement forms part of Kenya’s ongoing visa facilitation strategy, which has ...

Malaysia is an attractive destination thanks to its affordability, ease of access and stable socio-political environment. Furthermore, over the review period the weak ringgit favoured inbound tourism and encouraged a rise in tourist spending on ...

The holding of the Ice Hockey World Championships in Bratislava and Kosice resulted in a dynamic increase in inbound arrivals in 2019. The leading source markets remain Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Austria, with geographic proximity, as well as ...

The VAT rate on tourism and hospitality was increased in 2019, rising from 9% to 13.5%. The VAT rate was previously lowered to 9% during the recession years, a calculated move to support Ireland’s largest indigenous industry during harder times. In ...

The number of international tourist arrivals to Vietnam increased strongly in 2019, as the country continues to attract people eager to explore its rich culture – an eclectic mix of modernity and tradition, Vietnamese gastronomy and the country’s ...

Overall tourism flows have been flourishing in Israel for years and 2019 saw a continuation of these trends. Among the main reasons for positive trends in inbound arrivals in particular are massive investment in promotions and marketing by the ...