The Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents of the Czech Republic

Commissioner Bienkowska sets out EU tourism strategy

PRESS RELEASE OF ECTAA

Ms. Elżbieta Bieńkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission addressed the General Assembly of ECTAA and set out her visions on the future European strategy.

Budva, Montenegro, 21 May 2015 – At ECTAA’s 111th General Assembly Commissioner Bieńkowska, who is responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, underlined that tourism is an important driver of economic growth and job creation. It is the 3rd largest socio-economic activity in the EU. Tourism accounts for 9% of the EU GDP and employs 10% of the total workforce, providing 12 million jobs.

While tourism has shown a robust and resilient performance over the last decade, Commissioner Bieńkowska stressed the challenges facing our industry. She referred among other to the changing consumer expectations and behaviour and the need for the industry to respond to these changes by adapting the offers to the new customers, becoming more digital and upskilling the workforce.

In order to ensure that Europe retains its position of number one destination in terms of international tourist arrivals and support the development of a competitive and sustainable tourism industry, Commissioner Bieńkowska set out her 8 priorities for the future European strategy. These priorities include: 

• Streamlining the regulatory and administrative framework impacting tourism;
• Digitalization of tourism SMEs – building on the Digital Single Market initiative; 
• Upgrading skills and competences across the tourism sector;
• Promoting sustainable tourism, among other through the adoption of a European Charter for Sustainable and Responsible Tourism;
• Promoting tourism in the low and medium seasons, in particular for senior and young tourists;
• Improvement of 'intermodality' and transport connectivity.
• Joint promotion of Europe as a tourist destination.
• Improvement of the governance structure, both within the EU institutions and within the industry.

ECTAA Members welcome the Commission’s strategy on tourism. In ECTAA’s views it is important to create the right framework conditions to allow the tourism industry to grow and contribute to the Commission’s priority of creating more jobs and growth opportunities. The proposed tourism strategy will help in that sense, but other policy changes are needed, such as a simpler visa policy for travellers from important tourism source markets, a better coordination of tax policies to avoid overtaxing our tourism products and services, a balanced approach to consumer protection, etc. 

Said Lars Thykier, President of ECTAA: “We are very pleased to hear that tourism will continue to enjoy high priority with Commissioner Bieńkowska and ECTAA pledges its support to implementing a tourism strategy that will support the competitiveness and sustainability of this thriving industry.” 

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ECTAA regroups the national associations of travel agents and tour operators of 31 European countries, of which 27 are within the European Union, and represents some 70.000 enterprises.

Publication date: 26 May 2015

01.06.2015