Author: The Traveling Professor/Tuesday, August 13, 2013/Categories: General Travel
You would think that with the world economic slowdown that there would be a downturn of traffic to popular European destinations. However, my guides are finding an influx of new European travelers are driving prices up and making availability of hotels weaker and lines longer. The weak U.S. dollar doesn't help either.
Where are all these travelers coming from? One big answer is from China. In 2011 the Chinese made 70 million trips overseas. Twenty or thirty years ago that number was probably close to zero. In 2020, it is expected the Chinese will make over 100 million trips. The prime destination in Europe are London, Paris, and Rome. The EU is actively pursuing travelers from emerging countries like China and India to fill up hotel rooms and spend money.
So, how does this affect the American traveler? Expect to find higher prices and longer waits to get to major attractions. Hotels and restaurants will be more expensive. Combine this with a weakening dollar, and it looks like the time to go to Europe is now, not later.
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