The Netherlands is a main entrance point for fresh fruit and vegetables into Europe. Its experience in trading fresh produce and efficient infrastructure make it an interesting country to explore. The Dutch market itself is a competitive market with a well-developed convenience segment and a dominant supermarket channel. Importers play a crucial role in checking whether fresh products meet the specific standards of Dutch supermarkets, as well as those of other European buyers.
Europe’s market for bed textiles has potential, but competition is strong. Developing countries are Europe’s main source of bed textiles, supplying nearly two-thirds of imports. This makes Europe an interesting market for you. A continued growing interest in sustainability and wellness offers opportunities, driving the popularity of natural materials and eco-friendly production.
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The trend of healthier diets is likely to positively impact the demand for spices such as curcuma longa. The Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom remain the main markets for Curcuma longa in Europe. However, the UK has lost its leading position in the European curcuma trade. It used to be the hub for trade, processing and distribution of this spice to other European countries, but since Brexit in 2020 this has changed considerably.
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For most European tourism providers today, embedding sustainability into all aspects of their business has become common practice. Before COVID-19, sustainable tourism was becoming increasingly important to the travelling public. Climate change leading to soaring temperatures, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events is now widely accepted to be a direct result of human behaviour. Countries, governments and citizens are urgently seeking to reduce carbon emissions, which impacts every industry in the world, including tourism.
Sustainability in tourism is on the edge of a breakthrough. Present day consumers expect companies to minimize their environmental impact and maximize their social returns. More and more outbound operators expect their partners to work on sustainability. This offers a major competitive advantage for inbound operators who have reached certification. Certification is achievable for all companies, large and small and in all destinations. We do not expect you to do the impossible or anything which does not make business sense. To help businesses we have developed a comprehensive and inspirational training and tool package to lead you through the process and provide international recognition.
Naut Kusters – General Manager, Travelife for Tour Operators
My advice to local tour operators would be to build sustainability into the heart of your business. Think carefully about all the positive and negative impacts your business has on the environment and communities where you operate. Make and implement a clear plan to maximise the benefits and minimise the burdens. This will mean you can confidently communicate your approach, your progress and successes to the companies you do business with. Work closely with others in the destination where you operate to share challenges and solutions, and most of all emphasise how being a sustainable travel company offers a better customer experience – one that’s local, authentic, special and memorable.
Rebecca Armstrong, Destinations Programme Office, The Travel Foundation
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Digitalisation is increasingly present in the supply chain of food and food additives. The COVID-19 pandemic sped up this digital change, as players, from farmers to exporters, began to use digital solutions in their work in response to pandemic-related challenges. Digitalisation offers many benefits for suppliers, such as expanding markets, improving process efficiency and crop productivity, and creating better relationships with buyers.
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The popularity of South Asian, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines contributes to the increasing demand for cumin seeds in Europe. The United Kingdom is the largest cumin seed importer in Europe, providing specific opportunities for suppliers of the curry industry. Other opportunities for new suppliers from developing countries can be found in other large or growing markets, such as Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Poland.
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Black pepper, known as the 'king of spices', is the most well-known and most-used spice in Europe. Opportunities for new developing country suppliers can be found in large markets such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy. Emerging black pepper suppliers can gain a competitive advantage by offering high-quality, safe and sustainable products. New suppliers must be able to compete with the offer from Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and India, by offering either competitive export prices or unique and high-quality products.
The growing popularity of Asian, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines, including spice mixes, sauces and condiments like curry sauces, is driving the demand for cumin seeds in Europe. Cumin seeds are also used as an ingredient in products like cheese. Large importing and consuming markets, such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, offer opportunities. Offering high-quality, safe and sustainable products can provide a competitive advantage. New suppliers must be able to compete with established suppliers from India, Syria and Turkey.
Europeans increasingly rely on software and systems that are connected to the internet. This makes their data and systems vulnerable to cyber attacks. And no matter where a cyber threat comes from, it has the potential to be devastating to companies, their employees and their customers. This is why the European market for cyber security is very large and growing fast.
More and more European companies, mostly small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are discovering finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO) as a cost-effective way to improve their business. The trends on the market are automation, real-time services and the demand for added value partners.
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