Europe dominates WEF tourism survey

A survey to find the most attractive countries for tourism development has seen Switzerland, Austria and Germany come top of the list.

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) first Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report revealed that these three destinations would be the best places for travel growth, followed by Iceland, the United States and Hong Kong.

Factors such as air transport links, cultural attractions and cost were taken into account when the list was compiled.

Jennifer Blanke of the WEF said that the top three showed "the importance of supportive business and regulatory frameworks, coupled with world-class transport and tourism infrastructure and a focus on nurturing human and natural resources, for fostering an environment that is attractive for developing the travel and tourism sector".

Switzerland's biggest tourist attractions include its skiing facilities, mountain ranges, numerous lakes and historic cities. It has a population of about 7.4 million, with the three main languages being German, French and Italian.

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