Travel And Tour Europe Jan 2013 Issue

With the dawn of 2013, the European Tourism Industry has shrugged off economic turbulence as it gears up to welcome a record number of international tourists, be it for business trips or on vacation. Last year's statistics show that despite economic uncertainty in many countries, travel spending is on the rise. UNTWO's data highlights that international visits to Europe are on a perpetual high, further boosting the tourism sector. However hotels and airlines are yet to catch up on the boom with visitors opting for low cost carriers, budget holidays and alternative types of accommodation. This era seems to be all about instant, customized, personalized services where technological breakthroughs are heavily influencing consumer behavior patterns. The irony is while you can chalk out your dream holiday at the click of a mouse, technology free vacations are fast emerging as tempting escapades in the recent times. It will also be interesting to note that the demand for smaller, less explored destinations has far out weighed the more popular, traditional markets. This cost saving trend heralds a new beginning, shining spotlight on a number of remote but nonetheless gem of attractions as travelers quench their thirst for discovering the unknown. Keeping that in mind, we decided to take you on a cultural tour of the seldom visited but immensely intriguing Principality of Monaco. That apart, in our 'City Chronicles' section, Salzburg is all set to charm you with its inspiring music, innovative architecture and not to forget its splendid alpine setting. Having undergone an exciting makeover, we have come up with a couple of new sections for you to flip through like Discussion, Face-to-Face, Cover Story, Theme Story, Traveller's Musings and Business Talk. Learn all about the benefits of Medical Tourism and the importance of Green Meetings right from the experts in our 'Discussion' column. Hervé Bosquet, Managing Director of Brussels Convention Bureau shares with us the upcoming ventures and goals of Brussels in an exclusive interview. With Valentines' Day being just a month away, we have featured the best of 'River Cruises' and the 'Most Romantic Cities' of Europe as this month's cover story and theme story respectively. Here is wishing all our readers a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!