* Europe slowdown, while growth strong in Asia, transport

* Early bookings for 2012 "encouraging"

* Full-year results to be published March 8

PARIS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Outdoor advertising specialist JCDecaux saw its growth slow last year as Europe's debt crisis took its toll on the region where it earns two-thirds of its revenue.

The company posted organic growth of 5.7 percent last year compared with 9.1 percent in 2010. Full-year revenues increased by 4.8 percent to 2.4 billion euros ($3.16 billion), exactly in line with analysts' consensus, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

JCDecaux's strength in Asia -- China is its second-biggest market -- helped it limit the damage of Europe's slowdown last year. The region posted organic growth of 19.2 percent, compared with 2.6 percent for its home market of France and 1.2 percent for the U.K.

JCDecaux will publish full-year results on March 8 on Thursday declined to provide any forecasts for next year.

"We can say, however, that our early bookings are encouraging for the first quarter of the year despite significant uncertainty in the global macro-economic environment," the company said in a statement.

Analysts at Exane BNP Paribas predicted in a research note that JCDecaux could be signalling "low to mid single digit growth."

JCDecaux, which competes with smaller rivals Clear Channel Outdoor and CBS Outdoor, signs contracts with local authorities to put ads on bus stops, in metro stations, airports and other public spaces, as well as selling billboards.

Its key "street furniture" business, which brings in half of revenue and has the highest margins of JCDecaux's business lines, provides items such as automatic toilets and bike rental systems to municipalities in exchange for ad space.

The street furniture unit grew by 2.3 percent organically last year to reach 1.12 billion euros. But the real bright spot was the transport unit, which includes ad campaigns in airports and train stations. It grew 15.8 percent to 874.4 million euros.

Outdoor advertising is seen by analysts as a promising growth niche in an industry being rapidly transformed by the Internet and decline of traditional print media.

Like other ad groups, JCDecaux's growth tends to track macroeconomic trends, and Europe's debt crisis the second half of last year weighed on demand.

In November the group had said it was aiming for 5 percent organic growth this year, so it did do better than its own target. It also grew faster than Clear Channel, which saw 4.2 percent growth last year, excluding currency effects.

JCDecaux shares closed up 1.6 percent to 19.30 euros per share on Thursday in line with the French blue chip index .

• A Permanent Economic Emergency