The European market for Christmas tree decorationsis growing, along with consumers’ holiday spending. This offers you good opportunities, as most European imports of Christmas articles come from developing countries. However, low-cost, high-volume production dominates the market. To compete, you can focus on high-end segments and niche markets, such as sustainable Christmas tree decorations. Premium niches are small, but profitable if you can offer well-designed, exclusive products.

Demand for dried thyme in Europe is driven by the popularity of the Mediterranean cuisine and interest in thyme’s health benefits. Dried thyme is a traditional culinary aromatic herb. It is also used in herbal teas and as raw material for the production of essential oils and other health and cosmetics products. Opportunities for new developing country suppliers can be found in large consuming markets, such as Germany, Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands. Offering high-quality, safe and sustainable products will give you a competitive advantage.

Sports tourism is a very diverse market that includes both spectator and participation sports. Local tour operators can take advantage of a broad annual schedule of sporting events held in their destinations. Mega-events (such as the Olympic Games) attract audiences in the thousands. Participatory events (such as running, cycling and scuba-diving) often also attract secondary audiences of friends and family members who accompany the participants. The UK, Germany and France are important European source markets.

The market for religious tourism from Europe is strong, particularly from Germany, the UK, and France. Religious destinations and attractions all over the world are interesting to many different religious groups. There is a growing trend for spiritual experiences that help travellers deal with the stress of everyday life, especially ancient spiritual techniques commonly used in South East Asia and Latin America. Once the tourism sector has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, we expect good opportunities for operators of religious tourism.

Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are frequent travellers. Many are retired and have the time and money to travel. More than one-fifth of the European population is made up of Baby Boomers, and most use European tour operators to organise their trips. There are good opportunities for local tour operators to attract this market with products carefully packaged to include active, immersive and meaningful experiences. However, it is important to remember that this is an ageing demographic, and products should meet a variety of needs.

The European tropical frozen fruit market is strong, with Germany and France standing out as leading consumers. Opportunities are arising from increased interest in exotic flavours and the health benefits of tropical fruits. Their frozen form offers convenience and year-round availability. New suppliers must be able to compete with already established offers from major exporters such as Peru, Vietnam and India. From beverages and desserts to culinary delights, tropical fruit infuses an exotic touch into the European diet.

In the long-term, olive oil is expected to increasingly replace vegetable oils, driven by a healthy image and the increasing popularity of Mediterranean cuisines. However, in the short term, sales of olive oil in Europe are expected to decline because of the price increase due to energy crises caused by the war in Ukraine. Opportunities for new developing country suppliers can be found in large European markets, such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.

Dried grapes are a traditional bakery and confectionary ingredient in Europe. They are increasingly used as a healthy snack, often in combination with nuts or other dried fruit. Opportunities for new developing country suppliers can be found in large markets such as the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Poland. New suppliers must be ready to compete with the strong Turkish supply, which provides more than half of Europe’s imports of dried grapes.

Europe is the largest market for canned fruits and vegetables in the world, representing more than 40% of the total world imports. Import volumes are stable for European types of canned fruits and vegetables, but the import of tropical and exotic canned fruits and vegetables is increasing. Large importing countries that at the same time are also considerable markets, such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, offer the best opportunities for exporters from developing countries.