ABSTRACT
The tertiary sector is involved in the production of non-material products, which may be services such as retailing, education, insurance brokerage or providing holiday accommodation. Services are important to the modern economy in absolute terms, and in the way they support the supply of labour and business expansion. Office centralization is particularly marked in less-developed economies, such as Ireland, where the capital city is very dominant in the national economy. A number of European governments, including those of Italy, Sweden and Spain, have attempted some decentralization of public sector employment in the 1960s and/or the 70s. The roots of Alpine tourism lie in the nineteenth century when the Alps were locations for summer relaxation by the wealthy elites of Europe. Mediterranean and Alpine countries have large positive balances, mainly from tourist receipts, while France, the UK and Switzerland benefit from both international sales of business services and from tourism.
