European Tourism Stakeholders' Conference

Madrid 14 - 15 April 2010. The European Commission, in close collaboration with the Spanish Presidency of the Council, is organising the European Tourism Stakeholders Conference in Madrid, Spain, .

The European Tourism Stakeholders Conference will explore ways and means to strengthen the visibility of tourism at European level and to verify how the actions to promote a competitive EU tourism industry and a sustainable growth of European tourism can be consolidated in an updated EU tourism policy framework, to be implemented in close cooperation with the national and regional authorities and the EU private tourism stakeholders.

This conference will take place just before the Informal Ministerial meeting on tourism that will be hosted by the Spanish Presidency. Tourism is one of the economic activities with most significant potential to generate future growth and employment in the EU.

Like all the economic sectors, tourism was affected by the recent economic downturn, but has proven to be, nevertheless, one of the most resilient sectors, recently even showing signs of muted recovery and growth.

Tourism Policy Now Firmly on EU Agenda

The Lisbon Treaty acknowledges the importance of tourism, outlining, for the first time, a specific competence for the European Union in this field and allowing for decisions to be taken by qualified majority.

Specific themes will be discussed including Innovation and Competitiveness, Sustainable and Socially Responsible Tourism, and Reinforcing the Image of Europe as a tourist destination. Ministers and State Secretaries from all EU and Candidate Countries are being invited to share their views, alongside senior officials representing European stakeholders and the private sector.

Participation in the Conference is by invitation only.

ENAT Vice-President and founding member, Jesús Hernández Galán, Fundación ONCE, has been invited to make an intervention on the subject of accessible tourism for all.