The Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), sent an open letter on behalf of her committee to the EU Heads of State and Government and the German Presidency of the EU Council on Thursday 16 July.
"At this crucial stage of negotiations on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, and at the eve of the European Council meeting on 17-18 July", the latter are invited to reconsider the presence in the next EU long-term budget of a budget line "dedicated to sustainable tourism".
A position long defended by the TRAN Committee and forcefully reaffirmed this week to Kerstin Jorna, Director of the European Commission's DG for the Internal Market (DG GROW) (see EUROPE 12527/12).
Arguing that at the height of the tourist season, confidence in travel has not yet been restored and that the number of tourists is continually declining, Karima Delli states in her letter that, despite the measures taken so far to support European economies, further efforts for the sector are needed, "in both the short and long term".
She also stresses the importance of dedicated support: "The option of allocating funds to tourism from various financial lines is in principle commendable, but it will do little to help micro-enterprises and SMEs, as they will struggle to understand the myriad of different funding opportunities and how to access them".
The MEP also recalls that Parliament's mandate in the MFF negotiating box included a specific allocation of €300 million for sustainable tourism.
To read the letter: https://bit.ly/3h83xZa (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)