European tourism operators, who might have complained about the lack of quality hotel rooms and services in China and other parts of Asia decades ago, are now facing criticism for their unpreparedness for Asian tourists.

UK and the other parts of Europe are "unprepared" to the specific demands of Asian tourists, a special report released in London on Monday at the World Travel Market 2006.

The WTM Global Trends Report 2006, produced for the grand occasion by Euromonitor International, warns that many European countries need to address gaps in their infrastructure and service provision, if they are to safeguard their future tourism revenue from Chinese and Indian travelers.

The number of Asians traveling to Europe reached 14 million in 2005, the report said, adding that the number of Chinese outbound tourists is expected to grow by 190 percent to 110 million and will generate 94 billion U.S. dollar worldwide by 2010.

In 2005, France, which has been very proactive in attracting Chinese visitors, with its "Year of France in China" from 2004 to 2005, was the most popular European country for Chinese tourists, with 472,000 visitors, the report said.

Germany came second, followed by Austria and Switzerland, it said.

If Europe's service remains stagnant and untargeted, the region runs the risk of some Asian tourists voting with their feet and taking their high-spending to destinations which make a more concerted and apparent effort to accommodate their needs, the report said.

"Europe has so far only taken small steps to make sure it can fully cater to the needs of Asian tourists, however, there is a long way to go," Caroline Bremner, Euromonitor International International's Global Travel and Tourism Research manager said.

There is a particular service gap for Asians looking for more customized or self-determined travel, as the main travel product currently available to Asians in Europe is mass-catered in style, the manager said.

How well Europe will fair in harnessing the boom in Asian tourism depends on how effectively and how quickly European countries meeting the specific needs of Asian tourists, Bremner observed.

It is critical that national tourist offices and governments review their current product offer, filling in the current gaps in terms of specific transportation, accommodation and payment needs, the manager said.

Asian languages, used from tourist guides to menus, also needs urgent improvement in European tourism industry, the report said.

Europe's infrastructure is falling short even in mass-tourism such as multi-country organized coach trips, the report said.

The insufficient parking for coaches and limited access to city centers are listed as just two examples in the gap, according to the report.

There are also the lack of credit and cash machines outside cities and main tourist areas, which is a particularly important issue for European countries to overcome.