Prospects of the Development of Tourism in the Countries of the European Union

Abstract

Tourism plays a significant role in EU countries' social and economic development. Sustainable development is a current direction in the modern tourism industry. Developing and implementing tourism products and services based on sustainability requires adjustment and improvement. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the prospects of sustainable tourism development in the European Union countries. The study identified that from 2019 to 2022, 90% of EU countries experienced a stable increase in the number of people engaged in tourism. Modern travelers demand changes towards sustainable development of tourism services: 69% of tourists are interested in sustainability characteristics when choosing tourism services, and 74% feel the need for expanding ecological tourism services. The analysis results formed the main trends in sustainable tourism development in 2024, where the predominant vectors include the development of measures for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, plastic pollution reduction, and implementation of energy solutions. A scheme of directions for restoring the modern tourism business in EU countries has been developed, focusing on developing recommendations for the tourism industry to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, considering society's need for sustainable economic development processes.