The European Parliament and Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, discussed European tourism at a plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 17 December. The European Parliament was in favour of supporting the sector through a sustainable tourism strategy.
The previous week, the Commissioner had committed to implementing this strategy to help the sector adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change (see EUROPE 13543/13). The strategy “will address newer challenges. First, climate resilience. Mitigating and adapting to climate change must be our first consideration, leaving no one and no place behind”, he stressed during the debate. He also mentioned the recent weather disasters in Rhodes, Valencia and Mayotte (see EUROPE 13547/25).
“Tourism is facing major problems: workforce shortages, the effects of climate change and, indeed, competition at an international level. We must now respond and find solutions”, added Sophia Kircher (EPP, Austrian). “We have to accept that this tourism is sustainable”, she added.
“Through stronger marketing, tourist flow management and support for emerging destinations, we can make sure that everyone benefits from the quality of tourism. Visitors, residents and businesses alike, while promoting at the same time declared work, adequate wages and decent working conditions”, emphasised Mr Tzitzikóstas.
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Renew Europe, Irish) felt that there should be a discussion about presenting Europe as a Europe-wide destination. “We should attract visitors to more than one country when they come to stay in Europe, through community marketing strategies that do as much for cities as for rural areas”, she explained.
Elena Kountoura (The Left, Greek) suggested taking the idea of a Community policy even further, with a monitoring system to ensure that the approach to tourism is sustainable and has a separate budget line. She also proposed the creation of “a European tourism organisation to ensure greater cohesion, coordination and coherence”.
Finally, Carlo Fidanza (ECR, Italian) spoke of the importance of investing more in accessibility and tourism, “not only because it is right from a moral point of view, but also because it represents added economic value”. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)