Analytics, Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Good for Business, Tourism

The ETC reports reviews 33 European countries, and compares available tourism statistics for this year.

''Despite geopolitical tensions in Crimea, volcanos in Iceland, and a shaky economic recovery in the eurozone, international tourism to Europe is thriving; it has grown by four% in the first three quarters of this year,'' the ETC points out.

Iceland registered the largest increase in tourism number in the first nine months when compared to the same period last year – by 23.1%.

Greece is in third place with a 16% increase, year-on-year.

In Lithuania, the number of foreign tourists visiting the country increased by 10.2% in the first nine months of the year (6th largest increase), but in Estonia – 3.7% (seventh smallest increase).

Meanwhile, Slovakia has seen a 14% drop in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country this year. The ETC attributed the falloff to unfavorable weather conditions and the appreciation of the Czech koruna, and noted that Slovakia, being a landlocked country, is less likely to see growth in the summer months.