On Wednesday 2 July, the members of the European Committee of the Regions set out their expectations for tourism during a plenary session debate with Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas, the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
Local and regional leaders called for greater recognition of their key role in managing the challenges of unbalanced tourism, and have called for adequate resources to address them. Local and regional authorities pressed for deeper involvement in shaping and delivering sustainable tourism policies.
They raised concerns over the growing imbalance in the tourism sector and underlined the urgent need to support destinations that require different approaches to manage tourist flows, including limiting or redirecting these flows or restricting the supply of short-term rentals. They highlighted the impact of climate change on European destinations and emphasised the importance of working with local communities on issues such as water distribution, housing, mobility and spatial planning.
They are looking forward to the ‘EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy’, scheduled for early 2026 (see EUROPE 13666/19), which is currently the subject of a recently launched public consultation (see EUROPE 13665/39).
“Your contributions are very important for building a strategy that strikes a balance between economic growth and the well-being of local communities, while promoting climate change adaptation and data-driven management”, said the Commissioner. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)