Content Type Event
Published At 17/09/2017

European Parliament High-Level Conference on Tourism

27 September 2017, Brussels, Belgium. Conference theme: 'A European strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism industry, a key driver for job creation’.

World Tourism Day: 27 September 2017, Brussels, Belgium.

Conference theme: 'A European strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism industry, a key driver for job creation’.

Background

On 25 March 2017, the leaders of the EU institutions and of the 27 Member States signed a solemn Declaration in Rome marking the anniversary of the Treaties. This Declaration emphasises that growth and employment are main priorities for the Union.

The tourism industry is a strategic sector in that context. Today, directly and indirectly, it already accounts for some 10% of GDP and jobs in Europe. Tourism also generates spin-offs in other key sectors, such as retail, agriculture and food, transport, construction, cultural and creative industries, textiles and shipbuilding.

At a time when the digital revolution, advanced manufacturing techniques and robotics lead to a diminished reliance on labour, tourism remains one of the most labour-intensive industries.

According to the World Tourism and Travel Council, more than 5 million new jobs linked to tourism may be created in the European Union over the next 10 years. 20% of these jobs go to young people under 25. Tourism hence represents a main avenue to combat youth unemployment, especially in several southern Regions where one out of two youths are
unemployed.

The number of international tourists are set to double, from 1.1 billion to more than 2 billion, between now and 2030. Many of these tourists will come from an emerging new class with high spending power, half of which will come from Asia.

Europe, with its unique cultural heritage, landscape and nature, can attract a good part of this new demand.

The European Parliament is very active in this area, through the work of its Committee on Transport and Tourism, of a Task Force and of the Intergroup on Tourism and other relevant Committees. In September 2015, it adopted a resolution calling for an integrated European tourism policy.