Brussels, 12/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Competitiveness Council meeting in Luxembourg on 11-12 October adopted conclusions on a new political framework for tourism in Europe. This was the first formal meeting of European tourism ministers since the Lisbon Treaty came into force. The Lisbon Treaty introduced a legal basis for a European policy on tourism which empowers the European Parliament and the Council to complement action by member states to achieve real added value. At their informal meeting in Madrid on 14-15 April, ministers defined the outline of the future European tourism policy, in line with the provisions of the European Commission communication. The conclusions adopted on Tuesday confirm member states' desire to promote quality tourism rather than the mass tourism which has worked to the detriment of European heritage and local populations. The Council calls on member states, therefore, provide fresh impetus to the tourism policy in a European framework, with the aim of securing high quality, sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism. Greater visibility must also be given to European destinations, guaranteeing high quality tourism.
Stimulating competitiveness in tourism sector and promoting sustainable,
responsible tourism
Tourism in the European Union is a dynamic sector, very promising in terms of economic growth. It is currently the third largest provider of jobs (9.7 million people are employed in 1.8 million companies, most of which are small and medium-sized enterprises) and contributes 5% of European GDP. Having been hit by the crisis, just like the other economic sectors, tourism is one of the first to come out of recession and to show signs of a return to growth. To lay solid foundations for this recovery, the sector should move towards a policy based on sustainable, responsible and ethical tourism, the Council says. A quality label for tourist destinations in Europe should be considered, to set them apart from other, increasingly competitive destinations worldwide. Noting that the competitiveness of the tourism sector depends greatly on sustainability, innovation, a properly operating internal market and the improvement of qualifications, the Council stresses the need to increase training and life-long learning and mobility of human resources in tourism. Ministers also agree with Commission initiatives to highlight the diversity and quality of European destinations. The Commission proposed to set up and promote a European trade mark in close collaboration with member states as proof of quality for foreign tourists.
Need for integrated approach
Tourism policy is affected by various other provisions in the Treaty, including in transport, consumer protection, taxation, employment and training, maritime policy, culture and regional and rural development. Thus it is that the above-mentioned objectives will only be fully realised through an integrated approach, ensuring that tourism is taken into account in the other policies, the Council says. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which abound in the tourism sector, could benefit from appropriate measures, in, for instance, innovation, networking and use of information and communication technology. Ministers stress, too, the need to improve the tourism-related socio-economic knowledge base with regard to demographic and climate change, trends in the evolution of tourism demand and supply and the impact on tourism of unforeseen events and difficult situations, with a view to providing useful information to the industry's strategies and the policies of public authorities, while avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens.
The Council invites the Commission to continue its regular exchanges of views with member states and the tourism industry and to report to the Council on the results of its initiatives before the end of 2013 by means of a mid-term review. The next European Tourism Forum will be held on 18 and 19 November. This event will give member states and stakeholders the opportunity to discuss how to implement the action plan to provide fresh impetus to the new European tourism policy. (I.L./transl.rt)