European tourism ministers expressed their hopes for the next mandate during a public debate at the Competitiveness Council on Thursday 7 March. They hope to see tourism become a priority on the European agenda (see EUROPE 13354/5).
The ministers welcomed the progress made during the current mandate, in particular the measures initiated following the Covid-19 pandemic, which have led to a recovery in the sector.
Valérie De Bue, the Walloon government’s Minister of Tourism, mentioned the following objectives for the next mandate: - the transition from quantitative growth to an approach based on a local, high-quality offer; - digitalisation and innovation; - the development of tourism as an ecosystem, particularly with regard to the synergies between tourism and heritage; - tourism policies that contribute to achieving climate objectives; - the development of education and skills in the tourism sector, including digital skills, in order to make jobs in the sector more attractive.
Kostas Skrékas, the Greek Minister for Development, felt that it was necessary to create a budget line dedicated to tourism in the EU’s long-term budget, as well as a shared vision of sustainable tourism. He also suggested designing a specific platform, called the EU Talent Pool, which would connect Member States with workers in the sector from third countries. “This would make it possible to create cooperation with third countries, particularly in terms of job creation”, he explained.
Jurģis Miezainis, Parliamentary Secretary at the Latvian Ministry of Economy, urged caution regarding the extension of the scope of the Package Travel Directive (see EUROPE 13303/6), presented by the European Commission last November. “Any regulation that is even for the best reasons to protect our consumers, can become a burden on market entry”, he warned.
He also lamented the “negative impact” of the proximity of certain countries, such as his own, to Russia and Ukraine. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)