The European tourism ministers will meet informally in Louvain-La-Neuve on Tuesday 20 February to discuss the sector’s ecological and digital transitions, as well as its place on the European political agenda.
In the morning, the first plenary session will be devoted to the mid-term evaluation of the Transition Pathway for Tourism. In February 2022, the European Commission published a joint European roadmap setting out the measures and achievements needed to accelerate the ecological and digital transitions. The aim was to improve the resilience of the tourism ecosystem. Last January, the Commission revealed that all stakeholder groups have successfully engaged on most of the themes of the ecological and digital transition (see EUROPE 13339/7).
After a break devoted to bilateral meetings, the ministers will have a working lunch. They will focus on the perspectives on Tourism at the European level during the next European mandate. The Belgian Presidency wishes to highlight the contribution of tourism to sustainable growth and the attractiveness of Europe in a globally connected tourism environment. Tourism is recognised as a sector of major importance at European level, contributing to economic growth and the creation of high-quality jobs in many regions of the Union.
On Wednesday 14 February, representatives of Europe’s tourism industry launched an appeal for their sector to be given greater consideration by European political decision-makers (see EUROPE 13350/19). Sustainability and the digitalisation of their business are their priorities.
The day will end with a cultural visit to the museum dedicated to the Belgian comic book artist Hergé.
Further information: https://aeur.eu/f/awz (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)