Brussels, 14/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 14 May, Commissioners Antonio Tajani (industry and entrepreneurship) and Maria Damanaki (maritime affairs and fisheries) launched a public consultation on the challenges and opportunities of maritime and coastal tourism. Tourism is a major source of revenue for the coastal and maritime regions, but it continues to face numerous challenges, such as the seasonal nature of the activity and lack of qualifications of the staff. The public consultation, which will run until 9 July, aims to develop this kind of tourism in order to make it more competitive, whilst respecting ecological and environmental imperatives. (IL/transl.fl)