There is growing concern in the European Parliament about the inaction of the 27 national governments and the Commission with regard to the tourism sector (see EUROPE 12527/12).
The latter, put in difficulty by the Covid-19 pandemic, was counting on the summer season to recover (see EUROPE 12485/1). Without much success, however.
In July 2020, the hotel occupancy rate in Europe was only 26.5% - down 66% on the previous year - and the top five European destinations accounted for only 40% of intra-European travel volumes in 2019, according to the European Tourism Manifesto Alliance.
“The coming months are going to be a calamity”, lamented Portuguese MEP Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar (EPP, Portugal) at a press briefing on Tuesday 8 September, referring to the risks of unemployment and the prospect of business failures threatening tourism professionals.
Without harmonised decisions, it will be, according to this MEP, who is also a member of the European Parliament’s Tourism Working Group, “very difficult for the sector to survive”.
A position shared by professionals. The European Tourism Manifesto Alliance - which represents more than 60 organisations in the sector - has thus advocated a harmonised European approach to travel restrictions and security measures.
“Inconsistent and ever-changing border restrictions” and “confusion about quarantine and test requirements” have, it said, forced many Europeans to abandon travel plans.
In a statement issued on 8 September, it therefore urged the EU27 to approve the Commission’s recent proposal on the subject (see EUROPE 12553/1).
Financial support
The “survival of the sector” will also require increased financial support, organisations and MPs insist.
For István Ujhelyi (S&D, Hungary), also a member of the ‘Tourism’ working group, the SURE instrument to support national short-time working schemes (see EUROPE 12490/10) set up by the Commission is not fully operational.
“If you ask stakeholders or tourism professionals, you will see that they are getting no concrete support from their government or the EU to survive”, he complained.
As for the Marshall Plan for tourism promised in July by the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton (see EUROPE 12527/12), MEPs are still waiting for it!
Ms Monteiro de Aguiar, Mr Ujhelyi and their colleague José Ramón Bauzá Díaz (Renew Europe, Spain) also reiterated their request for a tourism line in the 2021-2027 EU budget, which remains in abeyance.
“I don’t understand why other institutions are afraid to support the sector”, Ujhelyi expressed with surprise. “We have the solutions. All that is needed is the political will to make it happen”, said Ms Monteiro de Aguiar.
The latter MEP welcomed the organisation of a European Tourism Forum by the German EU Council Presidency for 23 October. But why wait? she asked. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)