Today’s AP voice is from our Director of sales for EMEA, Adriana Torrisi.
Travel trends come and go, but Europe remains a fixture, a beloved region for leisure travellers and prized for its culture, history and beautiful landscapes. While some of the larger cities like Paris and London are seeing the slowest growth due to market maturity, travellers have been eagerly exploring some of the lesser known cities. The opportunities for luxury independent hotels is loud and clear.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in its City Travel & Tourism Impact 2017 Europe reports, “Cities in Europe have all gained in their share of wider tourism demand as hubs and gateways to other destinations within the country, helped by good connectivity.”
The team at Amistad Partners loves travelling across Europe and here we list our top five travel spots in Europe.
1) Berlin: From 2006 – 2017, international travel to Berlin grew the most, with the city welcoming double the amount of foreign visitors. Once thought to be lacking compared to Paris and London, today’s Berlin has an edgy, fun vibe, with loads of independent hotels, lovely cafes, and tempting restaurants. Berlin is a city of art, artists, and museums, and is home to many famous historical sites including the Berlin Wall and the Reichstag.
2) Porto: Most people flock to Lisbon but we think there are plenty of reasons to visit Porto. And it seems we’re not the only ones. PwC reports that in 2018, Porto will see the most growth in revenue per available room. Travel & Leisure magazine declared the city its 2017 destination of the year. Because the city hasn’t been on the travel radar until recently, it feels untapped, with plenty of old world charm. In Porto, time slows down and you can ramble through streets for hours, sampling the local cuisine as you pass the hours.
3) Prague: Nicknamed the City of a Hundred Spires, boasts a UNESCO-listed historical city centre, beautiful architecture and many cobbled stoned alleys to explore. The city features in both PwC and WTTC’s lists of European cities with the fastest growing number of international visitors. Literature fans will delight in taking a tour of the city through the eyes of its most famous resident, Franz Kafka.
4) Milan: It’s impossible to go to Milan and not go shopping, or at least window shopping. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele has every iconic Italian brand from Prada to Versace and is thought to be one of the world’s first shopping malls. While the city is a feast for the sartorial traveller, there is more to Milan than fashion. You can scale the Duomo for spectacular city views. And for those wanting to get out of the city, the famous azure Italian lakes are at your fingertips.
5) Warsaw: The city has something for everyone, whether you are seeking culture, you want to let your hair down and hit the clubs or a bit of both. Like Prague, Warsaw has a UNESCO-listed historical city centre and the city played a pivotal role in World War II. Both Treblinka and Auschwitz concentrations camps can be visited as a day trip from Warsaw. A testament to its resilience and ability to reconstruct itself after extensive damage from war, like a phoenix rising from its ashes, the city is nicknamed the Phoenix City. Today’s Warsaw oozes luxury and sophistication.
Those planning a trip to Europe might not think of these cities in the first instances, but it would be a missed opportunity to leave these places unexplored.