The world is a vast melting pot of vibrant heritage and diverse cultures, and cultural tourism is a very large tourism segment, comprised of tangible and intangible products that showcase a country or destination’s unique history. Taking part in cultural activities while on a trip abroad is very popular with European travellers from Germany, the UK, France and the Netherlands, among others, as they are very keen to learn about cultures that are different from their own.
Birdwatching is becoming increasingly popular among European tourists. The United Kingdom is the largest European source country for birdwatching tourism, followed by the Netherlands and Germany. Birdwatching tourism attracts experienced travellers and offers spacious destinations. Therefore, the expectation is that this niche market will recover relatively fast when COVID-19 restrictions decrease.
With more than a million people belonging to our main British conservation charity, the RSPB, interest in birds and wildlife are important to many people. We love to travel, and whether you are an obsessive birder or just someone who wants to see wildlife in its natural setting, the demand for ecotourism is likely to continue increasing in future years. There are many opportunities to provide tourism products for this market, but it is important to understand the expectations of travellers. The temptation to over-promise in the hope of a short-term gain is one of the greatest risks in tourism. Being realistic about what you can provide and then providing it well are key to a longer-term business plan. Anything that helps tourism providers to understand the expectations of travellers is to be welcomed. While carbon emissions do harm the global environment to a small degree, I believe that the benefits that ecotourism bring are far greater – both in involving local communities with their local wildlife, and making people care more about the places that they visit.
Keith Betton, global birder, author and former Head of Corporate Affairs at ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents
Nature-based tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors, with a diverse array of interests and disciplines. The great thing about birding is that it is almost always available, whether in your own city or across the world. I picked up my first pair of binoculars at age four and have continued to explore nature ever since. The birding community plays a vital role in the ecotourism industry, often pioneering the development of new tourism destinations, encouraging community engagement and insisting on well-developed guiding skills from local guides. It is also one of the most particular groups of tourists with good knowledge, passion and time spent investigating exactly where to go and what to spend.
Positive sustainable tourism is critical for both local economies and the long-term protection of our natural areas and should be both well managed and encouraged.
Simon Collier, sustainable tourism expert, guide and trainer
Webinar recording
16 June 2021
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The United Kingdom is the largest bird watching market in Europe, followed by the Netherlands and Germany. The market for specialist tour operators is extensive in the UK, and they lead bird watching trips to a wide range of countries. Conservation and sustainability are important issues for European birders, and it is important that any bird watching travel product has good sustainable credentials.
The quality of local guides is the single most important element when selecting a local operator for our birding clients. It is crucial to have expert guides with local knowledge who can identify species and have a detailed knowledge of the best places to observe unique birds. Not all birding guests are the same. Some want a more leisurely pace to simply enjoy the birdlife, others to maximise the number of species and the most hardcore may only want to see a particular target species. Whilst birding guests are more flexible than general wildlife guests with regard to accommodation, they are demanding about the quality of birds and the ability and ease of observing them.
Santiago Bejarano, Co-Founder, Think Galapagos
Webinar recording
16 June 2021
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Bird watching tourism in Europe requires a lot of hard work and knowledge. To help you prepare CBI provides a Market Potential study with a list of European countries that offer the most opportunities for bird watching tourism and it describes the trends that offer new opportunities. The Market Entry study on this page contains information about buyer requirements and certifications, main market segments and distribution channels as well as information about the competition.
Wildlife tourism in Europe requires a lot of hard work and knowledge. To help you prepare CBI provides a Market Potential study with a list of European countries that offer the most opportunities for wildlife tourism and it describes the trends that offer new opportunities. The Market Entry study on this page contains information about buyer requirements and certifications, main market segments and distribution channels as well as information about the competition.
As consumers spend more time at home, they look for comfortable clothing items that can be worn around the house. Nevertheless, the European market for homewear (bathrobes and sleepwear) fell back to 2016 levels in 2020. Europe sources most of its homewear imports directly from developing countries. The mid-end and high-end market segments offer you the best opportunities. To supply these segments, you need to focus on design and quality. Using sustainable materials and the ability to co-create with your buyer can give you a competitive edge.
Easy chairs play a key role in the ‘home sweet home’ trend, where consumers retreat into the comfort and cosiness of their home. While the COVID-19 pandemic hurt international trade, lockdowns further boosted this trend. As a result, the negative impact of the pandemic on European imports of seats has been limited. The share of developing counties in the direct import market has remained fairly stable at around 40%. This makes Europe an interesting market for you, particularly the mid-end to high-end segments.
European imports of decorative objects have grown considerably in recent years. With most imports coming directly from developing countries, Europe is an interesting market for you — especially the middle to high-end segments. To target these segments, you should pay particular attention to design, artisanry and the story behind your products. Elements such as functionality, humour, collectability and cultural touches can add value to your decorative objects. Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important.
This report shows the most important European trends in the food and non-food industry for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. From interviews with experts, it is clear that COVID-19 increased the need for professionalism in developing countries. Buyers now select products in a different way. And the requirements they have for suppliers are much higher than before. To meet the new standards, suppliers in developing countries need to increase quality in many areas of their business. Collaborating with partners is very important.
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This report shows the most important European trends in the Home Decoration and Home Textile (HDHT) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. From interviews with experts, it is clear that COVID-19 increased the need for professionalism in developing countries. Buyers now select products in a different way. And the requirements they have for suppliers are much higher than before. To meet the new standards, suppliers in developing countries need to increase quality in many areas of their business. Collaborating with partners is very important.
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