The European tourism industry "will continue to recover" from the 2009 downturn despite the continent's fresh economic slump, according to a new report from Moody's Analytics.

Trends in European Tourism by Enam Ahmed and Melanie Bowler admitted that the recovery may be slowed, but predicted no adverse impact on overall overnight stays.

Among the findings of the research was that the regional economies of Central and Eastern Europe saw strong gains during the last recession, with tourism playing a key role.

Meanwhile, it is expected that growth in tourism within small metropolitan areas, in addition to the attractiveness of medium-sized areas, strengthen the prospects for tourism firms.

The number of arrivals to Central and Eastern European destinations accelerated the most in 2011, including Russia, Poland and Hungary. Spanish and Italian areas also saw strong growth.

The Moody's Analytics report said: "Investment by local and foreign companies, as well as local and national governments, will focus on related industries in promising metro areas.

"Longer term, business travel will grow following the eventual adoption of the Euro by Central and Eastern European countries. This may further boost tourism as transaction costs decline and competitiveness increases."

Details: www.moodysanalytics.com

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