Luxembourg continues to draw in the tourists

(JB) It may not have the same appeal as the Côte d'Azur but, landlocked Luxembourg is growing as a tourist destination.

According to a study by national tourist office ONT, hotels and campsites saw the average number of nights spent by tourists in the country grow by 4% in the first half of 2011.

An exceptionally warm April and May are thought to be the cause, though with bad weather predicted for much of the summer, it remains to be seen if the trend will continue.

The most promising trends were seen in the hotel industry, where the number of overnight stays rose for 50% of businesses, compared with the same period in 2010.

And this, despite a slight increase in hotel rates.

The ONT observed a growth in hotel use by leisure visitors as opposed to business clients. In total, 38% of hotels said they had welcomed more tourists in the first half of the year.

Half of all campsites surveyed experienced a growth in visits this year, prompting a 2% average rise in stays.

Campsites in the idyllic Mullerthal and the Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise experienced the highest growth, particularly during the Ascension and Easter Bank Holiday weekends.

Belgian nationals remain the most common users of the country's hotel network, accounting for nearly half of all customers (47%) meanwhile the Dutch were kings of the campsite.

In both the hotel and camping sectors, the proportion of German tourists grew by 50%.