POLICY PRIORITIES FOR EU TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Competitiveness: Europe primacy as a destination is not assured. Competitive pressure comes from other destinations, regulatory load, visa requirements and cost inflation. To maintain competiveness, industry and policy makers must work towards:

• A competitive tax and regulatory regime
• Minimising visa requirements and improving related processes
• Freedom of movement for visitors and professionals into and within EU
• Improving perceptions of welcome, service, experience and value for money
• Operational cost control and efficiency
• Increased product range

Sustainability: EU tourism grew sharply with affordable long-haul flights and deregulation. Change continued with the development of the online marketplace, non-EU destinations and the emergence of large potential populations for whom foreign travel is a possibility. For European tourism to be sustainable it needs improvement in the following:

• Capacity management to allow growth and maintain quality
• Adequate infrastructure and services for visitors including groups
• Fit-for-purpose booking and logistics systems
• Evolving products and services for existing and emerging origin markets
• Proper management of environmental resources

Knowledge: Policy makers should understand the significance of tourism, be interested in it and be kept well informed. The industry in the EU and in worldwide origin markets must also be well informed. Stakeholders include visitors, citizens and industry. Consultation and collaboration must take place at local, national and international levels.

Policy makers need to be aware of:

• Impact on travel and tourism of sector-specific and other regulation
• Scope for economic growth and jobs through tourism, and any risk to either
• Consequences of complacency and inaction including current loss of opportunity through visitors choosing to go elsewhere

Industry needs to respond to:

• The range of EU destinations and product potential among industry’s worldwide product development, sales and marketing networks
• Market needs and preferences from origin markets

ADVOCACY

Tourism is an economic activity capable of generating growth and employment in the EU, while contributing to development and economic and social integration, particularly of rural and mountain areas, coastal regions and islands, outlying and outermost regions or those undergoing convergence. With some 1.8 million businesses, primarily SMEs, employing approximately 5.2 % of the total workforce (approximately 9.7 million jobs, with a significant proportion of young people), the European tourism industry generates over 5 % of EU GDP, a figure which is steadily rising. Tourism therefore represents the third largest socioeconomic activity in the EU after the trade and distribution and construction sectors. Taking into account the sectors linked to it, tourism's contribution to GDP is even greater; it is estimated to generate over 10 % of the European Union's GDP and provide approximately 12 % of all jobs. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), there were 582 million international tourist arrivals to Europe in 2014 [ France (83.7 million), Spain (68.7 million), Italy (48.6 million), Germany (33.0million), UK (32.6 million), Austria (25.2 million), Greece (22.0 million), Poland (16.0 million)]

Advocacy Action Plan

Travel and destination movers-and-shakers in Europe must think globally but act locally to influence policy and political change. This means professionals in Europe and globally, need to unite under the message of tourism as an economic and job engine, but then “individually” roll up their sleeves at the EU and national level to educate, communicate and build critical relationships with policy makers.

Specific actions industry members can take to get more politically involved.

1. Establish and strengthen relationships with Member State government stakeholders as well as MEPs. One way to achieve this is to invite officials to go behind the scenes of local conventions and meetings to experience the positive impact first hand.
2. Feeding key politicians and influencers a steady stream of real-time, localized and Member State tourism impact data, such as how many jobs are supported, how much revenue is brought in, and what looming issues could negatively affect tourism and subsequently jobs and tax revenues.
3. Need for industry members to tell about challenges or barriers they’re facing on visas, and custom issues, and transportation and aviation needs.
4. Develop a Pan-European Travel Coalition, as a grassroots advocacy programme.
5. Identifying the key people in Parliaments (at both EU and national level) who influence tourism policy and arming them with compelling economic and jobs data for the travel industry.
6. Helping to block legislation that would deeply cut government tourism budgets.

It is important for the European travel industry to speak with one voice and having data ready to educate politicians and influencers on the economic value of tourism and meetings. Meetings are a primary economic engine in a knowledge-based world and a strategic tool in advancing innovation, knowledge transfer, and new investments for business growth. Getting politicians and policy influencers to understand this is key to getting more involved in economic development strategies in towns, states and countries.

To support this it is critical to build the supporting messages, statistics, case histories and advocacy materials that show how the tourism industry drives business and jobs in Member States and beyond. This data must be taken and used as thought leaders with government officials and policy makers, starting at the most local levels and building up from there.

There is a need to become more effective “story tellers” partnering more strongly with the media to communicate how tourism help combat economic and business worries by generating employment, promoting cities, supporting local communities, and aiding in the understanding of local culture.

It is important for the industry  to keep its foot on the pedal of political progress because tourism cannot be taken for granted by politicians and policy makers.