City Break 2008 to be held 9-10 June in Belgrade, Serbia

Europe’s premier city destinations generated 540 million Euros from tourism in 2006, a year on year increase of 19.2 million Euros, according to European Cities Marketing (ECM).

ECM, the association that represents over a hundred European cities, tourist boards and convention bureaus, also highlighted a growth in bednight volume. The 2007/08 report shows an average annual increase of more than 600,000 bednights per year in Europe’s largest cities.

Of note, the international bednight demand grew proportionally more in European cities situated close to low-cost airline base airports like Cologne, Dublin, Tallinn, Tarragona and Zurich.

With the volume of low-cost flights worldwide set to grow by 14% in 2008, combined with changing consumer travel habits and spending patterns, the city break or urban tourism type of holiday will continue to develop over the next five years resulting in a significant revenue increase for European cities.

Given the phenomenal growth of the city break market, Reed Travel Exhibitions is to again host a City Break exhibition. Running for the third consecutive year, City Break will welcome buyers and suppliers of city break related services and products from 9-10 June in Belgrade, Serbia.

“The sheer size of the city break market is immense: city tourism nowadays accounts for almost 40% of the total European outbound trip volumes. Based on these facts approximately 20% of international tourism receipts are generated in European cities. This all underpins the buoyant market of this rapidly expanding industry,” said Mark Walsh, Group Exhibition Director of Reed Travel Exhibitions.

City Break 2008 will host over 200 exhibitors from over 70 European destination including leading and upcoming cities, city-based hotels, destination management companies, tourist attractions and incoming operators. New exhibitors this year include Italy’s San Marino, one of the world’s oldest and smallest republics, Premier Hotels in Kiev and Zepter Passport from Sarajevo.

Key buyers signed up to be at the show include MIKI Travel, Gullivers Travel Associates, JACOB and Expedia.

City Break 2008 is sponsored by ECM and will be held prior to ECM’s annual summer conference which takes place from 11-13 June in Belgrade, Serbia.

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