As promised by the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, the European Commission organised a Convention on Monday 12 October aimed at initiating reflections on an overhaul of the European tourism sector, “which is imperative for a way out of the crisis”, according to the Commissioner (see EUROPE 12471/6).
“Although the virus is still with us, now is the time to pave the way for a greener and more digital tourism”, Mr Breton said on Monday.
The Convention – which brought together 800 people in virtual way – began with a series of workshops attended by representatives of the tourism and travel industry as well as various stakeholders.
One of the workshops focused on the key actions they would like to see implemented in the future.
In particular, they advocated the development of low-carbon multimodal transport and the coordination of cross-border regulatory frameworks “for developing the EU as a single tourism destination and facilitating travel”, detailed Eduardo Santander, executive director of the European Travel Commission (ETC).
Workshop participants also suggested that permanent multi-stakeholder referral mechanisms (e.g. networks or forums) should be established to rethink the development of European tourism.
They also emphasised the need to develop services that facilitated the ability of travellers to choose and to provide assistance to cross-border visitors, such as multimodal ticketing and solutions that make greater use of information and communication technologies (ICT).
Finally, speakers at the workshop and throughout the event focused on the issue of restoring the confidence of the public in travelling in Europe, which they said will require the coordination of national governments over risks and protocols related to Covid-19. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)