Brussels, 27/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - European Tourism Day, on 27 September, emphasised this year the fact that it was going beyond seasonal aspects to include coastal and maritime tourism. During a conference organised in Brussels to celebrate this event, the European Commissioner responsible for the issue, Antonio Tajani, appealed for a tourism industry for all seasons. The European Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) also highlighted the key date of this event to request that, “maritime and coastal tourism should be encouraged and supported within the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework ”. As pointed out by the Swedish regional adviser, Lars Nordström, copresident of the tourism workgroup at the CPMR, “almost 2.36 million people work in the coastal tourism subsidiary, which represents the equivalent of 1.1% of total jobs in Europe. None of these jobs can be relocated elsewhere and its effects on the territories contribute towards the economic, social and regional objective”. The secretary general of the association, Eleni Marianou, also welcomed the European Commission strategy (DG MARE) for promoting maritime and coastal tourism within the “Blue Growth” initiative of the European Commissioner in charge of maritime affairs and fisheries, Maria Damanaki. (MD/trans/fl)