Brussels, 04/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 2 December, during European Tourism Day, the Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani, argued that European tourism had to explore new niche markets and improve services if it is to remain competitive at world level. Demand for tourist services for persons with disabilities and senior citizens is strong but the supply of appropriate services is not. During the two-day Joint Conference on Accessible Tourism in Europe in Brussels (3-4 December) in which he took part, Commissioner Tajani stated that “people with special needs have the desire and the right to travel like everyone else. However, their travel experiences are often restricted by the physical barriers such as transportation constraints, inaccessible accommodation and tourism sites, as well as information barriers such as a general lack of information or poorly designed websites”. The commissioner hopes that the conference will raise awareness of the enormous potential offered by tourism services to senior citizens and persons with disabilities, which could “reap great benefits, because barrier free tourism opens many new markets and attract new clients, which in turn can strengthen the tourism sector and lead to economic growth and more jobs”. The conference is part of the 2010-2020 European strategy supporting persons with disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
On 2 December, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso took part in the 17th Tourism Summit in Berlin. During this event, he underlined the enormous contribution made by the tourism and travel sector to European unity and said that “travel has made European unity something tangible, beneficial and attractive… It has helped forge a European identity, based on European cultural diversity”. Barroso also underlined the economic importance of tourism and its remaining healthy, as well as its role as a benchmark for growth and consumer confidence. He provided assurances to tourist operators on Commission support for consolidating competitiveness in the sector by creating an environment that was business-friendly and which promoted cooperation among member states. (IL/transl.fl)