A new consolidated framework for

the EU Tourism Policy

Today’s presentation

1. Introduction

2. Legal basis and policy framework

3. New Communication on Tourism

4. Tourism unit’s preparatory actions

Introduction - 1

Tourism is more than an economic activity.It contributes to a wide range of other key EU

objectives:sustainable developmenteconomic growth job creationsocial and regional cohesionprotection of natural and cultural heritageEU citizenshippeaceful relationships etc.

Introduction - 2• Tourism is a cross-cutting sector• It involves a big diversity of services and professions• It impacts on a variety of sectors • It is mainly dominated by SMEs• Socio-economic importance of tourism:

• 5% of the EU GDP• 5.2% of the total labour force• 9.7 million jobs

But with the related sectors:

• 10% of the EU GDP• 12% of the total labour force• 24 million jobs

Tourism and the Political-Institutional Framework

Strategies for a Competitive and Sustainable Tourism at EU level (1/2)

• 2001 – Communication on « Working together for the future of European Tourism »

• 2003 – Communication on « Basic orientations for the sustainability of European tourism »

• 2006 – Communication on a « renewed EU Tourism Policy »

Strategies for a Competitive and Sustainable Tourism at EU level (2/2)

• 2007 – Communication on « an agenda for a competitive and sustainable European tourism »

• 2010 – Communication on « Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination - a new political framework for tourism in Europe »

A new political framework for Tourism in A new political framework for Tourism in Europe in line with the Lisbon Treaty and the Europe in line with the Lisbon Treaty and the Europe 2020Europe 2020 Strategy for growth and Strategy for growth and employmentemployment

Lisbon Treaty – a new competence for tourism (1/2)

• Title I, Article 6(d) TFEU

The Union shall have competence to carry out to carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member Statesactions of the Member States.. The areas of such action shall, at European level, be: (…) (d) tourism

• Title XXII, Article 195 TFEU

1. The Union shall complement the action of the Member States in the tourism sector, in particular by promoting the competitivenesspromoting the competitiveness of Union undertakings in that sector. To that end, Union action shall be aimed at:

Lisbon Treaty – a new competence for tourism (2/2)

encouraging the creation of a favourable environmentfavourable environment for the development of undertakings in this sector;

promoting cooperation between the Member Statescooperation between the Member States, particularly by the exchange of good practice.

2. The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall establish specific measures to complement actions within the Member States to achieve the objectives referred to in this Article, excluding any excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States.Member States.

A new consolidated framework for the EU Tourism Policy

EC Communication COM(2010) 352 final

Key principles

1. European or multinationalmultinational dimension

2. European added valueadded value

3. Principles of subsidiarity and proportionalitysubsidiarity and proportionality

4. Commitment from and involvement of all all stakeholdersstakeholders of the EU Tourism Industry to cooperate and jointly ensure a successful implementation

The four axes of action

• Stimulate competitiveness in the European Tourism sector

• Promote the development of sustainable, responsible and high quality tourism

• Consolidate the image and profile of Europe as home to sustainable and high-quality destinations

• Maximise the potential of EU policies and financial instruments

Stimulate competitiveness of the European Tourism sector (1/2)

Develop a coherent strategy for diversifying the promotion of tourist diversifying the promotion of tourist servicesservices and capitalise on Europe's common cultural and natural common cultural and natural heritageheritage

Launch an 'ICT and tourism' platform 'ICT and tourism' platform for stakeholders to facilitate the adaptation of the tourism sector and its businesses to market developments in new information technologies

Improve professional skillsImprove professional skills by supporting training in the tourism sector (promote opportunities offered by various EU programmes)

In the short term, support networking of research institutes, networking of research institutes, universitiesuniversities, public and private observatories, regional and national authorities and national tourism offices

Stimulate competitiveness of the European Tourism sector (2/2)

In the medium term, promote the implementation of a “Virtual “Virtual Observatory for Tourism”Observatory for Tourism” to support and coordinate research activities by the various national research institutes and provide socioeconomic data on tourism at European level

Provide a voluntary tourism exchange mechanismProvide a voluntary tourism exchange mechanism between Member States, enabling in particular certain key groups such as young or elderly people, people with reduced mobility and low-income families to travel, particularly during the low season

Develop a voluntary online information exchange mechanism Develop a voluntary online information exchange mechanism to improve the coordination of school holidaysto improve the coordination of school holidays in the Member States, without prejudice to their cultural traditions

Promote the development of sustainable, responsible and high-quality tourism

Develop a system of indicatorssystem of indicators for a sustainable management of tourist destinations

Develop a European “Quality Tourism” brandEuropean “Quality Tourism” brand, based on existing national experience, to increase consumer security and confidence in tourism products and reward rigorous efforts by tourism professionals whose aim is quality of tourism service for customer satisfaction

Propose a charter for a sustainable and responsible tourisma charter for a sustainable and responsible tourism

Establish or strengthen cooperationstrengthen cooperation with main emerging and with main emerging and Mediterranean countriesMediterranean countries to promote sustainable and responsible tourism development models

Consolidate the image and profile of Europe as a collection of sustainable and high-quality

tourist destinations

Creation of a 'Europe brand''Europe brand' in cooperation with the Member States to complement promotional efforts at national and regional level and enable European destinations to distinguish themselves from other international destinations

Promotion of the portal “visiteurope.com” in order to increase the attractiveness of Europeincrease the attractiveness of Europe as a collection of sustainable and high-quality tourist destinations

Encourage joint promotional actionsEncourage joint promotional actions at major international events or large-scale tourism fairs and exhibitions

Maximise the potential of EU policies and financial instruments

Mainstream tourism in the different policiesMainstream tourism in the different policies which have a direct or indirect impact on it

Step up coordination of the various policiescoordination of the various policies concerned, with the aim of ensuring that the interests and needs of the tourism industry are fully taken into account when formulating and implementing EU policies

Promote and mobilise Union support instrumentsmobilise Union support instruments and programmes and reinforce support and coordination actions in favour of tourism

These actions complement the policies of the Member States and aim to coordinate efforts by determining measures which provide a real European added valuereal European added value.

The success of this strategy will depend on the commitment of all stakeholderscommitment of all stakeholders and on their capacity to work together to implement it:

• Priorities and implementation modes to be agreed on

• Workshops and meetings with all stakeholders

• Time horizon: 2010 – 2014

• Scope for more initiatives beyond the Communication!

Implementation

Action 3Launch of an ICT and Tourism Platform

Objectives:

• facilitate the adaptation facilitate the adaptation of the tourism sector and of the tourism sector and its businesses to market developments in new its businesses to market developments in new information technologiesinformation technologies

• create a favourable environmentfavourable environment for the European tourism industry that stimulates and enables the uptake of ICT and e-Business technologies.

Action 3Launch of an ICT and Tourism Platform

In practice:

• possible launch of a large-scale pilot actionlarge-scale pilot action to help SMEs participate in the global digital supply chain and become fully integrated international business partners (ongoing similar actions: textile, transport, automotive sectors)

• harmoniseharmonise business processes, data exchange architectures and standards, for the Tourism sector, at European or international level.

Action 5Improving professional skills

Objective:

Improve professional skillsImprove professional skills by supporting training in the tourism sector in order to facilitate adaptation of the workers to new technologies and new market expectations

In practice:• link-up with and promotelink-up with and promote opportunities

offered by other policies and programmes (eg. New skills for new jobs, Leonardo, Erasmus, etc)

• draft a Tourism Competences FrameworkTourism Competences Framework in close cooperation with the sector: mapping needs and requirements, check available solutions, close the gaps through policy recommendations

Action 5Improving professional skills

Action 6Calypso Web Platform

• VoluntaryVoluntary tourism exchange mechanism between Member States

• A web-based platformweb-based platform to match demand and offer to facilitate social tourism exchange for certain target groups: youth, elderly, reduced mobility, low income families, in low season.

• Development through public procurement Call for Proposals to be launched end of Julybe launched end of July.

Action 10Virtual Observatory for Tourism

• Objective: support and coordinatesupport and coordinate research activities by the various national research institutes and provide socioeconomic data on tourism at European level

• In practice: launch of a feasibility studyfeasibility study leading to the creation of a state-of-the-art observatory which should become a central source of information for policy makers, tourism stakeholders, researchers, etc in need of reliable information, analysis of the performance and trends of the sector.

Action 13 European Quality Tourism Label

Priority actionPriority action identified by Vice-President Tajani.Implementation work started end of 2010.• Gathering information on existing quality evaluation

schemes at European, national and regional level• First workshop March 2011 informal Working

Group to assist the Commission in the implementation

• Second workshop: June 2011 – discussion on the draft concept

• Open conference: November 2011 if broad broad consensus achievedconsensus achieved, subsequent launch.

Action 15Charter for sustainable tourism

• first "announcement" at the Ethic Tourism Conference in Madrid 14th September

• first draft by October 2011• second "announcement" - Tourism Forum in Poland• Stakeholder consultation: November-January• Visibility event: 1Q 2012• Launch ISC: May 2012• Presentation at the 2012 European Tourism Forum.

Priority actionPriority action identified by VP Tajani.Implementation with the involvement of the Tourism Tourism Sustainability GroupSustainability Group.

Action 17Pilot Project - 50.000 Tourists initiative

To strengthen tourism flows between Europe and the South America• To promote low-season travellow-season travel.• With the participation of Brazil, Chile and Argentina.• In collaboration with several European governments,

the tourism industry and major airlines to better usebetter use the available spare airline and accommodation capacityairline and accommodation capacity.

• 25.000 tourists from South America to Europe between October 2012 and March 2013.

• 25.000 tourists from Europe to South America between May and October 2013.

• Memorandum of Understanding signed on 1 June 2011.

Synergies between tourism and other Community policies

Cooperation with:• MAREMARE – Maritime Policy: co-leader for the Communication on

coastal tourism• ENVENV – Environmental Policy – e.g. EMAS sectoral reference

document for sustainable tourism businesses• SANCOSANCO – e.g. hotel fire safety• REGIOREGIO - 12.3 billion EUR of ERDF = 3.57 % (direct support)

+ 433 million EUR of various support measures to the hotel and restaurant industry

• EAC EAC (European Heritage Label)• AGRI AGRI (Rural tourism)• MOVE MOVE (Air Passenger Rights)• JUSTJUST (Package Travel, Timeshare)• TAXUDTAXUD, etc…• + within DG ENTRDG ENTR (innovation)

Key challenges for the sustainability and competitiveness of European tourism Reducing the seasonality of demandseasonality of demand

Addressing the impact of tourism transportimpact of tourism transport

Improving the quality of tourism jobsquality of tourism jobs

Minimising resource useresource use and production of wastewaste

Preserving & giving value to natural/cultural heritagenatural/cultural heritage

Making holidays available to allholidays available to all

DemographicDemographic changes

Evolution of tourists’ demandtourists’ demand and patterns

Global economiceconomic situation

NewNew markets and products

Preparatory action « Sustainable tourism » Iron Curtain Trail

Objectives: Highlight the increasing

importance of cycling cycling tourismtourism, its benefits and regional economic impacts

Promote a trans-border trans-border

cycle-tourismcycle-tourism trail, which follows the former iron curtain.

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/iron-curtain-trail/index_en.htm

Promotion of Thematic Cultural Routes

• Joint managementJoint management with the Council of Europe• Focus on trans-nationaltrans-national thematic routes:

Religious routes Historical trails Architectural heritage routes Gastronomic routes, etc.

Mini-Fair in Pavia in April 2012 – focus on religious tourism and pilgrimage routes.

Preparatory action « CALYPSO »

Objectives:

Encourage tourism activity during the off-peak season;off-peak season;

Facilitate the elaboration of a mechanism enabling particular particular target groupstarget groups (senior citizens, young people and families facing difficult social circumstances) to go on holiday on the basis of themed programmes and accommodation offers recommended by public authorities (national, regional or local) and, if possible, during the low season

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/calypso/index_en.htm

Preparatory actionEuropean Destinations of Excellence

“EDEN”

Objectives:

Enhance visibilityvisibility of the emerging, non traditional European tourist destinations of excellence

Award sustainableAward sustainable forms of tourism

Create a platform for the exchange of good practicesplatform for the exchange of good practices at European level, promote networking between awarded destinations which could persuade other destinations to adopt sustainable tourism development mode

http://ec.europa.eu/eden

EDEN Editions

• EDEN 2007 “best emerging rural destinations”

• EDEN 2008 “tourism and local intangible heritage”

• EDEN 2009 “tourism and protected areas”

• EDEN 2010 “aquatic tourism”

• EDEN 2011 “tourism and regeneration of physical sites”

• EDEN 2012 participation of those countries that have not yet taken part in the competition + joint promotional activities for already selected EDEN destinations

• EDEN 2013 “accessibility” - if budget available

Foreseen major tourism events

27 September 2011 – European Tourism Day in Brussels organised by the Commission. EDEN 2011 Awards ceremony.

5-7 October 2011 – European Tourism Forum in Krakow, Poland (Presidency event).

Thank you

Krisztina Boros

entr-tourism@ec.europa.eu

EC Tourism website:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tourism/

Follow EDEN on

Follow DG ENTR on