Bright spots amid a challenging year

It was a tough year for Europe. And while the continued threat of terrorism, the ongoing immigrant crisis and the shaky economies of some E.U. members darken the outlook for 2016, the news wasn’t all bad.

In the spirit of Happy New Year, here are some bright spots worth noting.

Ireland voted in May to legalize gay marriage, and Tourism Ireland wasted no time throwing out the welcome mat to the LGBT market. Same-sex wedding and honeymoon packages are among the new offerings symbolic of this shift in attitude and are likely to translate into a boost in inbound tourism.

The debt crisis in Greece, which escalated in July to the point where the country teetered on the brink of eviction from the E.U., was averted at the 11th hour. Problems remain — the population is still divided on whether austerity is the only way to dig out of debt and whether embattled Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is the right person to lead the way — but at the very least the eurozone was spared the trauma of losing a member.

The favorable dollar-euro exchange rate gave American tourists extra bang for their buck when traveling in Europe this year and even allowed some tour operators to trim prices [http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Trafalgar-to-cut-Europe-tour-prices-as-US-dollar-remains-strong] accordingly for 2016. Yes, a strong dollar dampened the enthusiasm of Europeans to travel to the U.S. and spend money here, but for Americans, the prospect of eating out more often and shopping with a bit less restraint in Europe was a happy result of their strengthened spending power.

Lithuania joined the eurozone in January, making it the 19th member country. While there are only about 3 million inhabitants, the destination is increasingly drawing international visitors as part of an overall interest in the Baltic region. Vilnius, the capital, draws the lion’s share of attention for its cultural attractions, and this year the country is heavily promoting such winter activities as skiing, ice sailing and horse-drawn sleigh riding venues near the city.