“To remain competitive while protecting local communities, we need modern, secure, and sustainable port infrastructure and facilities”, held European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas during the eighth Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum in Heraklion, Crete, on Tuesday, 6 May.
He stressed the importance of the cruise industry in the European tourism landscape, with high demand and 4 to 5% in annual growth. “Cruise tourism must help ensure that Destination Europe remains as attractive in the long term as it is today”, he felt. According to him, competitiveness and sustainability go hand in hand.
The commissioner reiterated the measures that are already in place to combat emissions from ships: the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the ‘FuelEU Maritime Regulation’ on infrastructure for alternative fuels (see EUROPE 13561/8), and the historic agreement at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on global measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping (see EUROPE 13620/8). He explained that the European Commission was working on developing a comprehensive EU Ports Strategy that would cover competitiveness, sustainability, social aspects, resilience to external threats, and the energy transition. It will be presented by the end of the year.
However, he did mention some obstacles: grid capacity, high investment needs, and permitting delays. “Breaking down these barriers requires a joint effort by shipowners, ports, and energy providers”, he believes. The EU Action Plan for Grids and the upcoming Affordable Energy Action Plan will address permitting issues.
Finally, the new European Tourism Strategy will be presented next year. “Diversifying tourism offers and attracting travellers who prefer off-season or off-the-beaten-path experiences is a good place to start”, asserted Mr Tzitzikóstas. In his opinion, more granular and better-quality data can help inform official destination management plans. For example, certain Mediterranean destinations are already capping the number of visitors, are setting thresholds for ports of call, and are coordinating cruise schedules to avoid overcrowding. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)