COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION

Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism

1. INTRODUCTION

Recognising the crucial role that tourism plays for the EU economy, the Commission

adopted in March 2006 a renewed Tourism Policy1 with the main objective to

contribute to "improving the competitiveness of the European tourism industry and

creating more and better jobs through the sustainable growth of tourism in Europe

and globally". The Commission also explicitly recognised that "making growth and

jobs the immediate target goes hand in hand with promoting social or environmental

objectives" and announced the preparation of a European Agenda 21 for tourism

drawing on the results of the work of the Tourism Sustainability Group2 (TSG)

presented in the report "Action for more sustainable European tourism"3 published in

February 2007.

Tourism is indeed one of the economic activities with most significant potential to

generate future growth and employment in the EU. In its narrow definition4, tourism

currently contributes some 4% to EU GDP, varying from about 2% in several new

Member States and 12% in Malta. Its indirect contribution to GDP creation is much

higher - tourism indirectly generates more than 10% of EU GDP and provides about

12% of all jobs.

Tourism is particularly important when it comes to offering job opportunities to

young people, who represent twice as much of the labour force in tourism than in the

rest of the economy.5 Employment growth in the tourism sector has been

significantly higher than in the rest of the economy in recent years, making the sector

a significant contributor to the Lisbon objective to create more and better jobs. The

importance of tourism in the EU economy is likely to continue to increase in the

coming years with the expected annual growth of tourism demand slightly above

3%6 in the coming years.

Finding the right balance between an autonomous development of the destinations

and the protection of their environment on the one side and the development of a

competitive economic activity on the other side may be challenging. The work of the

Tourism Sustainability Group however confirmed that more than any other economic

activity tourism can develop synergies in close interaction with environment and

society. That is because the development of tourist destinations is closely linked to

1 COM(2006) 134 final of 17.03.2006

2 See COM(2003) 716 final and COM(2006) 134 final for further details on its composition and role.

3 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/services/tourism/tourism_sustainability_group.htm

4 Traditional travel and tourism providers (hotels, restaurants, cafes, travel agencies, car rentals, airlines

etc.) that supply goods and services directly to visitors

5 See "Promoting young people's full participation in education, employment and society" COM(2007)

498 final of 05.09.2007

6 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) - TSA Regional Reports - European Union 2007

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their natural environment, cultural distinctiveness, social interaction, security and

wellbeing of local populations. These characteristics make tourism the driving force

for the conservation and development of the destinations directly through raising

awareness and income support to them, and indirectly by providing an economic

justification for the provision of such support by others.

Global trends and priorities change more than ever the overarching challenge for

the tourism sector is to remain competitive while also embracing sustainability

recognising that, in the long term, competitiveness depends on sustainability. In

particular, climate change is now seen as a fundamental issue also requiring the

tourism industry to reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and the

destinations to adapt to changes in the pattern of demand and in the types of tourism

they offer.

The future of European tourism relies on the quality of the tourist experience

tourists will recognise that places that care for the environment, their employees and

local communities are also more likely to care for them. By integrating sustainability

concerns into their activities, tourism stakeholders will thus protect the competitive

advantages that make Europe the most attractive tourist destination in the world its

intrinsic diversity, its variety of landscapes and cultures. In addition, addressing

sustainability concerns in a socially responsible manner7 will help the tourism

industry to innovate its products and services and increase their quality and value.

The "Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism" presented in this

Communication therefore fulfils a long-term commitment taken by the European

Commission8 and further supported by the other European institutions9. It builds on

the Tourism Sustainability Group report and on the results of the ensuing public

consultation exercise10. The agenda represents a further contribution to the

implementation of the renewed Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs11 and of the

renewed Sustainable Development Strategy12.

2. THE AGENDA FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPETITIVE EUROPEAN TOURISM

Creating the right balance between the welfare of tourists, the needs of the natural

and cultural environment and the development and competitiveness of destinations

and businesses requires an integrated and holistic policy approach where all

stakeholders share the same objectives.

7 See also "Opportunity and Responsibility. How to help more small businesses to integrate social and

environmental issues into what they do", January 2007

8 This commitment was first announced in COM(2001) 665 final of 13.11.2001 (Measure 8) and further

confirmed in COM(2003) 716 final of 21.11.2003 and COM(2006) 134 final.

9 Council Resolution of 21.05.2002 on the future of European tourism (2002/C 135/01), Council

conclusions on the sustainability of European tourism (8194/05, 19.04.2005), European Parliament

Resolution on new prospects and new challenges for sustainable European tourism (2004/2229 INI)

10 See

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/services/tourism/index_en.htm

11 COM(2005) 24 final of 2.2.2005

12 Renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy as adopted by the European Council on 15/16 June

2006

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2.1. The objectives for the sustainability of European tourism and the challenges to

be tackled

The existing EU framework for the development of economic, social and

environmental policies based on the Partnership for Growth and Jobs and on the

Sustainable Development Strategy provides an adequate background for achieving

the objectives of this "agenda": deliver economic prosperity, social equity and

cohesion and environmental and cultural protection.13

These objectives should also guide European tourism stakeholders in their policies

and actions affecting the impact of outbound tourism from Europe and in supporting

tourism as a tool for the sustainable development of the host countries.

When pursuing these objectives, a number of challenges14 proper to the tourism

sector will have to be addressed. These mainly include sustainable conservation and

management of natural and cultural resources, minimising resource use and pollution

at tourism destinations including the production of waste, managing change in the

interests of the well being of the community, reducing the seasonality of demand,

addressing the environmental impact of transport linked to tourism, making tourism

experiences available to all without discrimination, and improving the quality of

tourism jobs also by addressing the issue of employment of illegally staying third

country nationals in the framework of the Commission migration policy15. Ensuring

that tourists as well as the local communities where tourism services are offered are

safe and secure is a further challenge and also a basic condition for a successful

development of tourism.16

These challenges are not fixed in space or in time. The priority that will be given to

them, the way they will be tackled and the arising opportunities that can be seized

may vary from place to place.

Stakeholders must continue anticipating and keeping abreast of changes. Policies and

actions need to take into account how demand and supply will be affected by

environmental challenges such as climate change17 and water scarcity18 ,

technology developments or other topical political, economic and social issues.

Therefore, a regular update of the set of challenges will be done with the

collaboration of all stakeholders.

13 These objectives are further elaborated in the TSG report (p. 3).

14 These key challenges have been elaborated in the TSG report (p. 8-17) and are related to the seven

challenges identified in the renewed Sustainable Development Strategy.

15 See also Proposal for a Directive providing for sanctions against employers of illegally staying third-

county nationals, COM(2007)249, p.2; Impact assessment report, SEC(2007)603, p.7.

16 Member States could benefit from the identification and sharing of best practices concerning the

protection of relevant sites and mass-events through the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure

Protection which would allow appropriate coordination of the relevant actions.

17 See also Green Paper "Adapting to climate change in Europe Options for EU action" COM(2007) 354

final of 29.6.2007

18 See also "Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union" COM(2007)

414 final of 18.7.2007

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2.2. A framework for action

Achieving the objectives of this agenda and tackling the above mentioned challenges

will require a coherent action which can be supported by appropriate public policies:

sustainable management of destinations, integration of sustainability concerns by

businesses and sustainability awareness by tourists.

Sustainable destination management is critical for tourism development, especially

through effective spatial and land use planning and development control and through

investment decisions on infrastructure and services. In ensuring that new tourism

development is of a scale and type in keeping with the needs of the local community

and environment, a sustainable management can reinforce the economic performance

and competitive positioning of a destination in the long-term. It requires a supportive

framework with the involvement of all regional and local stakeholders and an

efficient structure within which partnership and effective leadership are facilitated.

A primary requirement of businesses is to remain competitive. Actions taken in

support of this should be seen as part of the process of delivering sustainability

which is set to represent one of the most important competitive advantages. In order

to ensure their long term competitiveness, viability and prosperity, businesses should

therefore better than before integrate sustainability concerns fully into their decision-

making and management practices and tools. In this process, business support

services and associations have a major role to play.

Finally, in order to achieve a tangible progress, the demand side of both the leisure

and the business market should show stronger and more consistent signals. Tourists

need to be addressed in order to develop and strengthen their critical capacity to

make choices in favour of sustainable development. Sustainability awareness and

ethics can facilitate the creation of responsible individual attitudes and practices of

tourists. The growing understanding of sustainability of consumers might vice versa

influence businesses to demonstrate this concern and act accordingly.

2.3. Principles for achieving a competitive and sustainable tourism

To achieve a competitive and sustainable tourism the Commission invites all actors

to respect the following principles19:

Take a holistic and integrated approach - All the various impacts of tourism

should be taken into account in its planning and development. Furthermore,

tourism should be well balanced and integrated with a whole range of activities

that affect society and the environment.

Plan for the long term - Sustainable development is about taking care of the

needs of future generations as well as our own. Long term planning requires the

ability to sustain actions over time.

19 Report of the Tourism Sustainability Group "Action for more sustainable European Tourism", February

2007, p. 3-4

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Achieve an appropriate pace and rhythm of development - The level, pace and

shape of development should reflect and respect the character, resources and

needs of host communities and destinations.

Involve all stakeholders - A sustainable approach requires widespread and

committed participation in decision making and practical implementation by all

those implicated in the outcome.

Use best available knowledge - Policies and actions should be informed by the

latest and best knowledge available. Information on tourism trends and impacts,

and skills and experience, should be shared across Europe.

Minimise and manage risk (the precautionary principle) - Where there is

uncertainty about outcomes, there should be full evaluation and preventative

action should be taken to avoid damage to the environment or society.

Reflect impacts in costs (user and polluter pays) - Prices should reflect the real

costs to society of consumption and production activities. This has implications

not simply for pollution but for charging for the use of facilities that have

significant management costs attached to them.

Set and respect limits, where appropriate - The carrying capacity of individual

sites and wider areas should be recognised, with a readiness and ability to limit,

where and when appropriate, the amount of tourism development and volume of

tourist flows.

Undertake continuous monitoring - Sustainability is all about understanding

impacts and being alert to them all the time, so that the necessary changes and

improvements can be made.

3. MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

Several stakeholders have already recognised the importance of the sustainability

challenge and are working to improve their performance. Despite these efforts, more

progress is needed. In order to achieve more significant results, existing and future

initiatives should unite their efforts and act together, in a more visible and synergic

way.

This "Agenda" aims at strengthening such a voluntary and continuous process. It

should be promoted by all tourism stakeholders in Europe: the different levels of

government local authorities, destination management organisations, regions,

Member States and the European Commission itself, businesses, tourists and all

other bodies20 that can stimulate, support and influence tourism.

The tourism sector involves many different private and public stakeholders with

decentralised competencies. It is therefore of major importance to respect the

principle of subsidiarity and to work with a bottom-up approach, involving those

20 Among others: educational and research establishments, Trade Unions, consumer associations, NGOs

and international organisations.

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stakeholders who have the competence and power to act and who are voluntarily

contributing to the implementation of the Agenda.

That is why the focus will be placed on joint action at the destination level but within

the context of supportive national and European policies and actions.

3.1. The role of stakeholders

The Tourism Sustainability Group created a framework for action assigning broad

responsibilities21 and specific roles22 for the different groups of stakeholders in

implementing the agenda vis--vis the three above-mentioned key elements

sustainable destinations, sustainable businesses, and responsible tourists and the

identified challenges.

Tourism stakeholders are called to accept these respective responsibilities and are

invited to embrace the opportunities that the sustainability challenge offers as a

potential driver for innovation and growth.

The stakeholders should share their knowledge by communicating the positive and

negative results they achieve on the way, in order to build a stronger bridge between

the creation of knowledge, its dissemination and the implementation of sustainable

and competitive practices. To that end, they should build a structured and regular

cooperation at the levels where they mostly operate be it the destination, regional,

national, European or international one and bring sustainability into discussion in

these cooperation structures. An example of such cooperation is the social dialogue

between employers and employees and their representative organisations.

Small and micro businesses play an indispensable role in European tourism, but their

size could make them less well equipped to integrate sustainable development

aspects and market them as part of their business. Therefore the relevant

intermediaries are called to convey the core messages of this Agenda to them and to

facilitate their contribution to its implementation.

3.2. The role of the European Commission

The Commission recognises its responsibilities for action and will implement

initiatives at European level with a step-by-step approach, providing tourism

stakeholders with added value at European level, while fully respecting the division

of competencies as laid down in the Treaty.

This Agenda will guide the Commission future activities in the tourism domain and

in all other policy areas which exert an impact on tourism and on its sustainability.

To this end, the Commission will rely on the Tourism Sustainability Group.

The Commission will further cooperate with neighbouring (Eastern Europe and the

MED region) and ENP (European Neighbourhood Policy) countries in the field of

tourism and will further support Low-Income and Middle-Income Developing

21 TSG report, p. 27-30

22 TSG report, Tables 1a and 1b, p. 31-39

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countries through the European Union foreign direct investment and joint ventures in

the area of tourism.

3.2.1. Mobilising actors to produce and share knowledge

The European Commission will aim at achieving a better visibility and recognition of

good practices by the EU citizens and society and at strengthening the knowledge

and understanding of practices that link sustainability and competitiveness in a

mutually reinforcing way.

The Commission is already organising conferences and undertaking research studies

in order to raise awareness on challenges such as facilitating travel for youths,

seniors and persons with special needs through social and accessible tourism

initiatives and on the working methods which could be applied at local and regional

level (e.g. a study on the impact of major cultural and sporting events on tourism-

oriented SMEs). In particular, the tourism learning area handbook is a practical

initiative that advocates the involvement of knowledge-based institutions within the

framework of a consensus building approach aimed at improving SME performance

and human potential in the tourism sector at destination level.

The Commission will further seek to drive the attention of those actors who create

knowledge (e.g. universities, research institutes, public and private observatories)

towards the challenges for the sustainability of European tourism. It will facilitate

their cooperation and promote the provision of formal and non-formal tourism

education. It will encourage mobility across Europe through the support of trans-

national training and work placement, of exchanges and the development of training

methods, materials and contents, including the integration of sustainability principles

in training programmes.

Local and regional levels' engagement will be supported through alliances between

different types of destinations (e.g. rural, coastal, mountain, urban) committed

towards sustainable destination management set up by the forerunners and opened to

the participation of all other interested parties. The European Commission will

support the strengthening or the creation of platforms by also using new

technologies where lessons drawn by good and bad practices can be exchanged and

where collaboration between tourism and other related sectors can be improved. The

promotion of best practices exchange towards sustainable destination management

(e.g. addressing the issue of seasonality and the prolongation of the tourism season)

can contribute in a significant way to the competitiveness of the tourist destinations.

These platforms could allow a more specific approach reflecting the territorial and

economic characteristics of destinations.

The annual European Tourism Forum also provides a platform where all stakeholders

can exchange views and strengthen their collaboration on the issues related to the

links between sustainability and competitiveness of European tourism.

In order to strengthen the collaboration with and among Member States, their current

annual reporting through the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC)23 will be used to

23 Council Decision 86/664/EEC of 22 December 1986

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facilitate the exchange and the dissemination of information also about how their

policies and actions safeguard the sustainability of tourism.

The need to know better and faster how tourism evolves in Europe can be addressed

partly through the collection and provision of statistical and geographic data24 and

partly through the activity of existing or new observatories. Such information could

facilitate the monitoring of the key challenges, especially those important for SMEs

which are linked to employment and seasonality.

Finally, the Commission invites International Organisations (UNWTO, UNEP,

UNESCO, etc.) to contribute to this process by identifying synergies between their

field of activities and the European Agenda.

3.2.2. Promoting destinations of excellence

The Commission will continue to implement the "European Destinations of

Excellence" (EDEN) pilot project. EDEN promotes emerging European destinations

and offers support to those where the development in tourism is being pursued in

such a way as to ensure social, cultural and environmental sustainability. Every year

a different theme for the award is selected. The Commission will facilitate the

creation of networks between awarded destinations, with the aim of facilitating the

exchange of good practices at European level and encouraging other destinations to

adopt similar sustainable tourist development models.

The Commission will also reinforce the image and the perception of Europe as a

tourist destination characterised by high quality and sustainability. To this end, the

Commission will work with the European Travel Commission and the National

Tourism Organisations to devise a proper strategy that will involve also the use of

the European Destination Tourism Portal25.

3.2.3. Mobilising the EU financial instruments

The European Commission acknowledges the need of stakeholders to financial aid

with a view to foster the implementation of the Agenda. The opportunities at

European level are already there to be seized, such as the possibility for Member

States and all Regions to finance tourist projects through the European Regional

Development Fund. Sustainable and innovative tourism practices are already

highlighted as priority criteria in the different objectives of the various European

financial instruments in particular the Cohesion Policy funds (the European

Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund), the European

Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the European Fisheries Fund, the 7th EC

Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and

Demonstration activities (where the key priority on climate change includes impacts

on tourism) and in the `Leonardo da Vinci' programme, through the introduction of

a specific measure for apprentices and young persons in vocational training and a

project currently underway, analysing and developing qualifications in the sector.

24 For instance through the revision of the Tourism Statistics directive and/or through GMES (Global

Monitoring of Environment and Security) delivering Europe-wide uniform geospatial information

services.

25 www.visiteurope.com

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The `Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme' (CIP) also supports

the competitiveness of EU enterprises and especially SMEs.26 The Commission will

facilitate the spreading of knowledge on how these existing EU financial instruments

have been and can be used to this end by the different tourism stakeholders.

3.2.4. Mainstreaming sustainability and competitiveness in Commission policies

Several existing European policies and actions can have a strong influence on

tourism and its sustainability and can make an important contribution in tackling the

key challenges. General policies such as environment, transport, employment or

research can have different impacts on diverse territories because of their specific

characteristics. The Commission is taking and will take into consideration the needs

of these different territories.

The substantial response from stakeholders to the consultation process on the future

EU Maritime Policy has demonstrated their interest and support for action at EU

level towards more sustainable and competitive maritime and coastal tourism. In

response to their concerns, the integrated approach of the Maritime Policy will

provide the basis for elaborating further action to enhance sustainability and

competitiveness in the sector. As a first step, the Commission will focus its attention

on the coastal tourism sector by assessing the effects of fast growing segments such

as cruise tourism, examining the interlinkages between the cruise industry, port

facilities, marinas and other maritime industries, and of issues concerning

competition between land and maritime uses in coastal environment.

Mountain areas need prospective policies of rural development that integrate both the

conservation requirements of this particular natural environment as well as the

sustained welfare of its inhabitants.27 The Commission recognises the need to

preserve the rich natural heritage of many of these vulnerable mountain spaces.

Rural areas are investing in tourism in order to diversify their economies, which is

necessary for growth, employment and sustainable development. They offer real

opportunities in terms of their attractiveness as a place in which to live and work, and

their role as a reservoir of natural resources and highly valued landscapes. This

implies the need to ensure coherence and synergies in Community policies and to

preserve the environment and safeguard the countryside.

Tourism can also contribute to the sustainable development of urban areas by

improving business competitiveness, meeting social needs and preserving the

cultural and natural environment. If urban destinations are to be successful in all

these areas, they must take a global approach that is based on the principles of

sustainable development and is recognised and supported by public policies at all

levels, including the European level.

26 See also COM(2006) 134 final, p. 6-7

27 The Protocol on Tourism to the Alpine Convention is an example of framework instrument that can

stimulate and coordinate the contribution of stakeholders at regional and local level.

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4. CONCLUSIONS

This Communication is the official launching and endorsement of a medium-long

term Agenda in which all stakeholders should undertake the necessary steps to

strengthen the contribution of sustainable practices to facilitate the competitiveness

of Europe as the most attractive tourism destination.

The European Commission counts on political support to this initiative from the

other EU institutions and will present its evaluation of the progress made in 2011.

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