Brussels, 24/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - On 21 November, on the initiative of the Enterprise Commissioner, Erkki Liikanen, the Commission published a Communication, “Basic orientations for the sustainability of European tourism”, in which it calls for an EU-wide drive to enhance the economic, social and environmental sustainability of European tourism.
A press release explains that the sustainability drive needs to address the social responsibility of tourism enterprises, the possibility for all citizens to participate in tourism, good employment opportunities in the sector and benefits from tourism activities for local communities. It also entails preserving Europe's cultural integrity, and incorporating environmental issues and protecting heritage resources in tourism measures. To stimulate efforts in this field, the Commission intends to establish a Tourism Sustainability Group, in which representatives from all territorial and administrative levels will set out guidelines for the sector.
The Communication also calls for pro-active co-operation among tourism enterprises, tourist destinations and national, regional and local authorities to address challenges such as growing demand and changing preferences. A Commission spokesperson explained that in a global context, the EU approach is to press for the sustainability of tourism to be addressed in policies on trade assistance to the developing countries. It also seeks reinforced co-operation with UN bodies and other international organisations with regard to tourism sustainability. (See: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/services/tourism/index_en.htm).