WRITTEN QUESTION E-2176/00 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Encouraging US tourists to return to Spain's Costa de Sol.
Date: 2000-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Andalusia, United States, competence of the Member States, foreign tourism, principle of subsidiarity, tourism statistics, tourist profession, traveller

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/165

Since the Commission(cid:146)s objective is for all European enterprises to cope with the deadline of 1 January
2002 without difficulty, the Commission has made the preparation of SMEs a clear priority both for itself
and for the Member States, as underlined in the communication on communications strategy in the last
phases of
the Information
Programme for the European Citizen (PRINCE) aims to apply this priority through the Commission(cid:146)s own
initiatives (support for transnational measures, partnerships with business intermediaries and communica-
tion products) and through action by the Member States.

the completion of EMU, adopted on 2 February 2000 (1).

In addition,

Nevertheless, the Commission is aware that many SMEs will tend to prefer to wait until the last minute to
take the necessary measures, which is a dangerous but deliberate choice by the business.

(1) COM(2000) 57 final.

(2001/C 81 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2176/00

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Encouraging US tourists to return to Spain(cid:146)s Costa de Sol

(7 July 2000)

For a variety of unknown reasons the number of US tourists visiting Spain(cid:146)s Costa del Sol (a major tourist
area) has fallen from 450 000 twenty years ago to the current figure of 80 000. This has had a serious
impact on account of the high spending power of visitors from the US.

For this reason the local authorities have launched an intensive campaign to win those visitors back,
focusing both on the quality of hotels, restaurants and other tourist establishments and on the training of
those employed in them.

How could the EU work with the Spanish authorities affected for the purpose of studying the causes of the
steep decline in holidaymakers visiting the Costa del Sol from the US and trying to remedy the situation?

(2001/C 81 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2240/00

by Carlos Ripoll y Mart(cid:237)nez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 July 2000)

Subject: Tourism

What measures does the Commission intend to propose to the Member States of the European Union in
view of the decline in tourist numbers?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2176/00 and E-2240/00
given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Under the implementation of the subsidiarity principle, it is up to the Member States(cid:146) local, regional or
national authorities to know, study, analyse and, where appropriate, to remedy the structural causes that
may cause a diminution of tourists in the Costa del Sol, or elsewhere.

The Commission, in its role of catalyst of the different policies and Community instruments, can help
Member States authorities develop the tourism potential. Recently, the Commission has published, in its
Internet site, a guide entitled (cid:145)EU schemes in support of tourism. An Internet road-map for the tourism
sector(cid:146).