Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, despite the European Union’s delay and indecision with regard to the introduction of a fully-fledged Community policy on tourism, increasing attention is being paid to tourism as a sector capable of generating new jobs. One of the reasons for the Community’s interest is the structural flexibility of this sector of the employment market, which explains its attractiveness for women and young people, to whom it often offers their first experience of employment. The importance of the tourist industry and its impact on employment – although everyone is now aware of this – is nevertheless based more on personal experience rather than on verifiable statistical data. The fact that, due to the absence of sufficiently reliable and scientific statistical data, the tourist industry is in effect an unknown quantity has greatly limited the prospects of pursuing a consistent policy in this area and creating employment on a wider scale. It would be appropriate, therefore, to begin by summarising the impact of tourism on the lives of Union citizens and the desirability, in both economic and social terms, of promoting the European tourist industry. Firstly, I would remind you that the tourist industry is one of the infrastructures which any advanced society must have. Without it, institutions, business and the world of work could not function. Tourism must therefore be thought of as the whole range of goods and services required by individuals moving from their habitual place of residence and thus confers mobility, the characteristic feature of contemporary society. The term ‘tourism’ must no longer be solely perceived as synonymous with sun, sea and holidays, which has the effect of reducing the interest taken in the subject at institutional level. Secondly, I would like to explode a myth, taking as a starting point an apparent paradox, which is clearly highlighted by Eurostat figures: the main international tourist countries are not those traditionally regarded as tourist destinations, but on the contrary the most advanced nations, whose quality of life is one of their main attractions and most heavily promoted features. Clearly, the importance of tourism for the economy of regions traditionally regarded as tourist destinations, southern regions for example, is very different, and should be studied carefully. It is an obvious truth, and one that is measurable by other economic and social indicators, that thanks to tourism, many Mediterranean regions have undergone a radical change for the better in their economic and social system and the way of life of their inhabitants, and achieved a drastic reduction in the numbers emigrating. Social growth has occurred only in those areas where the tourist market has given rise to the development of all the activities required to meet the needs of visiting tourists, thus creating an entire productive system. In such cases, there is a measurable increase in employment as a result of the growth in tourist numbers, thus establishing a virtuous circle of growth in the local economy. This reminds us that tourism cannot be regarded as the poor countries’ petroleum industry, because it requires huge investment in structures, infrastructures, entrepreneurship, professional expertise, social services and training; that the tourist industry is essential for the equilibrium of many regions as it provides a direct source of employment and a market for all local productive activities: agriculture, small firms in the industrial and craft sector, transport, services, retail sector, training, etc; that the development of the Community’s tourist industry is closely linked to its sustainability with regard to the Community objectives; that the varied geography and historical, cultural and environmental heritage must be protected and exploited. In my opinion, the European Union can, in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, supplement the action of the Member States and contribute to consolidating the potential of tourism by means of certain measures, such as the adoption of a specific legal basis for tourism policy in the Treaties; the adoption of mechanisms within the programmes and projects set up under its regional policies and other policies of the Union, with a view to promoting tourism in all its forms: rural, environmental, cultural, conference-based, spa-related and sports-related tourism, and also tourism focusing on senior citizens, research and training; the amendment of Directive 95/57/EC on the collection of statistical information in the field of tourism; the cofinancing of projects to set up new transport services and infrastructures; the cofinancing of pilot schemes involving benchmarking and the exchange of experiences. These and other specific measures included in my report can, in my view, lend added value to the actions that the competent national and regional authorities should foster, in order to promote tourism and create new jobs, starting with the adoption of positive fiscal measures to assist small and medium-sized firms, particularly by reducing the burden of charges on labour.

Political group: PPE-DE