Travel

Travel

AUSTRIA - TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Tourism is an important part of Austria’s services sector. In 1991 foreign tourists accounted for earnings of $192,4 billion, almost offsetting the negative trade balance and deficits in services or other accounts. Tourism is a principal industry and source of foreign exchange. In fact, Austria’s per capita tourist revenue is the highest in the world. Foreign overnight stays in Austria have risen consistently since World War II, from 50 million in 1950, to 59 million in 1970, and to 95 million in 1990.

FRANCE - TRAVEL AND TOURISM

The figure 79.1 million excludes people staying less than 24 hours in France, due to France is ranked as the first tourist destination in the world. France features cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost), beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity (green tourism). Aside of casual tourism France attracts a lot of religious pilgrims to Lourdes, a town in the Hautes-Pyrénées département that hosts a few million tourists a year.

LATVIA - TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Latvia can be accessed by virtually every means of transportation. Maritime transport links the three main seaports (Riga, Liepaja and Ventspils) with the other Baltic Sea countries, there are good railway links with Russia and Belarus, while coach routes have developed rapidly in recent years to link neighbouring countries as well as more distant major European cities.

Highways lead into Latvia from Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia.