About this report
Watersports holidays are a niche segment of the European travel market, and comparatively few tour operators offer holidays where water-based activities are the main focus. Instead, holidaymakers tend to participate in watersports on an ad hoc basis, booking activities and courses directly with local providers in or near to their chosen resort or holiday destination.

As travel becomes generally cheaper and easier, the demands of tourists become increasingly diverse, with many prospective holidaymakers seeking smaller-scale or more unusual activities. This is driving the growth in water-based holidays and multi-activity breaks with watersports components.

This report gives an overview of the broad range of watersports that are available in destinations throughout Europe, examines different types of watersports holidays and looks at watersports tourism in the Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain

Contents

Introduction

Data Sources

Overview
Figure 1: Watersports overview
Watersports Operators

Watersports Tourists

Watersports festivals and competitive events
Croatia

Figure 2: Foreign arrivals to Croatia by country of residence, 2004-05
Figure 3: Number of issued licences for coastal navigation in the republic of Croatia, 2004-05
Industry insight
Czech Republic
Figure 4: Arrivals at collective accommodation establishments in the Czech Republic by selected country of residence, 2000-04
Industry insight
France

Figure 5: International tourist arrivals at French frontiers by selected country of residence, 2000-04
Industry insight
Great Britain

Domestic participation
Figure 6: RYA membership figure, 1946-2005
Figure 7: Watersports participation in GB, 2004
International participation
Figure 8: Overseas visitors to England, Scotland and Wales, 2000-04
Figure 9: Expenditure by overseas visitors in England, Scotland and Wales, 2000-04
Figure 10: Foreign arrivals by country of residence, 2004-05
England
Industry insight
Scotland
Figure 11: Destination of watersports holiday trips in Scotland by UK residents, 2003
Figure 12: Volume and value of UK residents’ watersports holidays in Scotland, 2003
Figure 13: Duration of UK residents’ watersports holidays in Scotland, 2003
Figure 14: Region of origin of UK watersports tourists in Scotland, 2003
Figure 15: Seasonality of watersports holidays in Scotland by UK tourists, 2003
Figure 16: Key demographic of UK watersports tourists in Scotland, 2003
Industry insight
Wales
Figure 17: Watersports in Wales
Industry insight
Greece
Figure 18: International tourist arrivals in collective accommodation establishments in Greece by selected country of residence, 2003-05
Figure 19: Tourist arrivals in Greece by month, 2005
Industry insight
Hungary
Figure 20: Tourism nights at public accommodation at Lake Balaton, 2002-05
Figure 21: Arrivals in all accommodation establishments in Hungary, 2003-05
Industry insight
Portugal
Figure 22: International tourist arrivals at Portuguese frontiers by selected country of residence, 2000-04
Industry insight
Slovenia

Figure 23: Tourist arrivals by country of residence, 2003-05
Industry insight
Spain
Figure 24: International tourist arrivals at Spanish frontiers by selected country of residence, 2002-04
Industry insight
Tour Operators
Activities Abroad
Huck Finn
Just Slovenia
Mark Warner
Rockley Watersports
Sail & Surf
Sport S
Wilderness Scotland
Outlook