Brussels, 12/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's transport and tourism committee unanimously adopted, on 9 November, a report by Brian Simpson (S&D, UK), which recommends that the existing European framework for statistics on tourism should be improved. The current system, based on a directive dating back to 1995, has become outmoded, all the more as the newly established European tourism policy has considerable potential for development. “Tourism is an important economic activity in the EU with a high potential for contributing to greater employment and economic growth”, said Carlo Fidanza (EPP, Italy), the shadow rapporteur for his group. Tourism statistics are a useful tool for supporting decision-making in business and in the private sector as well as in the development of more effective tourism policies at European, national, regional and local levels. The report therefore recommends that more recent, complete and comparative statistics be made available. A number of variables must be revised such as tourist spending, taking recent events into account like the increasing number of short visits comprising fewer than four nights away or the use of the internet for making bookings. From the supply point of view, the report answers the developing needs of users, for example with regard to data on room occupancy, and also updates data transmission times. It states that variables and concepts should be harmonised, thus providing far greater scope in tourism statistics by covering all rented accommodation and, in response to considerable demand, by including statistics on day trippers rather than those taking longer holidays. The report will be voted during January plenary and will form the basis for first reading at the Council of Ministers. (I.L./transl.jl)