Brussels, 29/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - By organising the fourth European Tourism Forum in La Valletta (Malta) on 19-21 October and a meeting of EU tourism ministers in La Valletta on 20 October, the British Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Maltese tourism ministry and the European Commission hope to highlight the need to ensure the tourism industry is strong and competitive. The European Tourism Forum 2005 will be attended by representatives of the tourism industry, civil society and local, regional, national and European decision-makers. They will hold three workshops to look at competitiveness, qualifications, IT and communications technology; better regulation and the Services Directive; and sustainable development in tourism. The Forum will be opened by Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, who will speak about a modern tourism policy in the EU. Every year, more than half the 700 million tourists in the world head for Europe. The tourism industry generates more than 5% of the EU's GDP, with almost 2 million European companies (mostly SMEs). Other tourist destinations, particularly in Asia, are becoming ever more popular and compete with Europe. This means that Europe has to focus on quality, sustainability and modernisation. More info on the European Tourism Forum 2005 can be found at http://www.etfmalta.com