Spain has been the most popular destination for tourism in the EU during the first half of the year

Beach Cies Islands in Pontevedra (Galicia)

Spain has been the most popular destination for tourism in the EU during the first half of the year, having received 34 million passengers between January and July, a 4% more in international arrivals over the previous year. Behind Spain lie Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Greece and United Kingdom.

Despite the economic crisis, Europe remains one of the leading destinations, as international tourist arrivals to the EU increased 5% in the first half of 2013, according to data from the World Tourism Organization collecting larazon.es

Tourism has increased 9,2% in Greece, country that has hosted travelers about seven million in seven months. Malta (+10 %) and Portugal (+8%) also experienced strong growth. In Northern Europe, The rise was more modest, with the exception of United Kingdom, which registered an increase of 4% in arrivals after the Summer Olympics 2012 held in London.

Also, sector tourism-related training becomes increasingly important as the sector provides tens of thousands of jobs across Europe, which could give some respite to over twenty-six million people currently without jobs in Europe.

In order to further exploit the tourism potential of Europe, The EU executive is preparing a revision of the Visa Code to simplify and improve procedures for issuing visas, particularly for tourists from emerging economies China and Russia, because in the last four years, the number of visitors from these countries has doubled.

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