The International Tourism Market in the Destinations of the World

The international tourism market is highly segmented by types of products, clientele and destinations. The analysis of tourism markets in each destination region of the world gives a general insight into current situations and past and future trends. For instance, it highlights the relative importance of intra-regional tourism in Europe, a consequence of the high concentration of international tourism in the region. Indeed, there are many country borders within a relatively small area and land communication (railway and road systems) is accessible and extensive. In contrast, the development of international tourism in other regions of the world such as Africa and South Asia is hampered by weak intra-regional flows, not just because of the low purchasing power of their populations but also because of the slowness of land transport and because access is restricted by poor networks of usable roads. Visitors to these areas tend to favour air transport although this is a far more expensive mode of transport.