Commission Communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Working together for the future of European tourism
Date: 2001-11-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, European Union, cooperation policy, economic development, principle of subsidiarity, sustainable development, tourism policy, tourist infrastructure, tourist profession

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 13.11.2001
COM(2001) 665 final

COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL,
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Working together for the future of European tourism

COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL,
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Working together for the future of European tourism

I.

II.

1.

2.

Introduction.................................................................................................................. 3

Importance of tourism in the European Union............................................................. 4

Statistics and trends...................................................................................................... 4

Specific features of the tourism sector ......................................................................... 5

III.

The new context of European tourism ......................................................................... 7

1.

2.

The "Tourism and Employment" process .................................................................... 7

Other important questions for European tourism......................................................... 8

IV.

Strategic approach and proposals for action ................................................................ 9

A.

B.

a)

b)

c)

V.

Strategic approach........................................................................................................ 9

Proposed actions ........................................................................................................ 10

A new impetus for a consistent, integrated approach ................................................ 10

Availability of the necessary knowledge and tools for all the stakeholders .............. 12

Create the tools necessary for implementing specific, technical measures ............... 14

Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 18

Annex 1: Working groups ........................................................................................................ 20

Annex 2: Main results and recommendations of the five working parties............................... 22

2

I.

INTRODUCTION

Tourism is an important economic activity in the European Union (EU). It comprises a wide
variety  of  products  and  destinations  and  many  different  stakeholders  are  involved  -  both
public and private -  with very decentralised areas of competence often  at  regional  and local
levels. Tourism has great potential as regards contributing to the achievement of several major
EU  objectives,  such  as  sustainable  development,  economic  growth,  employment  and
economic  and  social  cohesion.  A  more  detailed  description  is  given  in  Chapter II  of  this
Communication.  These  elements  and  the  fact  that  many  Community  policies  have  a
significant  effect  on  the  various  activities  of  the  tourism  sector  justify  renewed  political
attention on the part of the main EU political institutions.

The recent terrorist attack in the United States, with its direct consequences, including the fear
of air travel, and its indirect effects on the whole tourism sector, illustrates just how much this
sector  depends  on  external  influences.  This  document  does  not  intend  to  provide  a  rapid
reaction  to  these  recent  events.  In  fact,  it  does  reflect  a  long  process  of  thought  and
consultation aimed at shaping a new approach for EU tourism.

The process initiated in the follow-up to the Conclusions of the Council of 21 June 1999 on
the  subject  of  "Tourism  and  Employment"  and  encouraged  by  the  reactions  of  the  other
institutions 1,  has  generated  a  new  momentum  among  the  main  stakeholders  concerned
(Member States, the tourism industry,  civil  society  and  the  Commission).  On  the  basis  of  a
co-operative approach  and  partnership,  as  described in  Chapter III,  a series  of  priorities  and
measures  have  been  identified  to  be  taken  by the various  public  and  private  stakeholders  in
the  sector,  bearing  in  mind  their  respective  areas  of  competence  and  responsibilities,  with
particular emphasis on the areas proposed by the Council.

The  purpose  of  this  Communication  is  to  consolidate  this  new  process  by  proposing,  as
described in Chapter IV:

– 

– 

1

2

an operational framework based on the method of open co-ordination between all the
stakeholders concerned developed at the Lisbon European Council. It is also in tune
with the guidelines of the recent White Paper on European Governance 2, for which
tourism is a suitable area of application: its implementation will require commitment
at the relevant high level.

A  limited  number  of  measures  to  be  introduced  by  the  various  stakeholders  in  the
tourism  sector,  with  the  aim  of  increasing  the  basic  knowledge  of  this  economic
activity,  increasing  the  competitiveness  of  its  businesses  and  improving  the
sustainable development of tourism in the EU and its contribution to job creation.

Resolutions of the European Parliament, 18.2.2000, A5-0030/2000.
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee, 26.1.2000, CES 93/2000 - OJ 2000/C-75 of 15.3.2000,
p. 37.
Opinion of the Committee of the Regions, 15.6.2000, CdR 291/99 final.
COM(2001) 428 final of 25.7.2001

3

                                                
II.

1.

IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Statistics and trends

Economic importance and general trends

The tourism industry in the European Union comprises some two million businesses, mostly
SMEs, which account for about 5 % of both GDP and employment. This figure varies from
3 % to 8 % depending on the Member State. Tourism also generates a considerable amount of
activity  in  other  sectors,  such  as  the  retail  trade  and  specialised  equipment,  to  a  level  of
around one and a half times that of tourism itself.

Despite the importance of SMEs in this sector, there is a growing trend towards concentration,
strengthening the vertical integration of tourist services. This is particularly noticeable in the
hotel sector and services which organise travel and transport.

In terms of turnover, over 80 % of the tourism undertaken by Europeans concerns individuals
or families. The remainder is business tourism, in the broad sense. It varies, depending on the
country, from barely 15 % to over 30 % of the total volume, the highest proportion relating to
Nordic Countries. EU households earmark around one eighth of their personal expenditure for
tourism-related consumption, a figure which varies relatively little from country to country.

Community tourism is largely domestic. 87 % of tourism activity recorded is attributed to its
own citizens with only 13 % to visitors from non-member countries. As for the tourism of EU
citizens,  three-quarters  remain  within  the  EU,  the  remaining  quarter  going  to  other  parts  of
Europe and the world.

Tourism  is  one  of  the  sectors  of  the  European  economy  with  the  best  outlook.  Forecasts
indicate  a  steady  growth  of  tourism  in  Europe,  stronger  than  the  average  economic  growth.
This  is  due  to  factors  such  as  the  increase  in  time  for  leisure  activities  and  its  social
importance,  together  with  global  economic  growth.  In  terms  of  the  absolute  volume  of
expenditure  and  employment,  both  current  growth  and  that  of  the  last  decade  exceed  an
annual level of 3 %, with an even higher rate for tourism-related sectors. This is due to tourist
demand  forever  more  varied,  comprehensive  services  and  increasingly  active  leisure
activities.  Over  the  past  few  years  100 000  jobs  a  year  have  been  created  in  Europe  in  the
hotel and restaurant sectors alone.

Europe, with the greatest diversity and density of tourist attractions, is the most visited tourist
region  in  the  world.  Despite  having  a  lower  growth  rate  than  the  world  average  and  than
certain up-and-coming overseas destinations in particular, the volume of European tourism is
expected to double over the next 20 to 25 years, with a net increase, in terms of expenditure
and  yield,  of  around  3 %  per  year.  Employment  will  rise  by  about  15 %  over  the  next  ten
years.  If  current  trends  continue,  the  above-mentioned  growth  will  continue  to  be  higher  in
activities  enjoying  spin-offs  from  tourism  than  in  the  tourism  industry  itself.  These  effects
vary of course considerably between the different European countries.

Demographic factors and further evolution

Changes in the demographic structure of Europe will have a major impact on leisure tourism.
By 2020, the population aged over 65 years will have increased by 17 million compared with
today. This figure will continue to grow, with the population enjoying better health, a higher
life  expectancy  and  greater  affluence  than  previous  generations.  In  addition,  people  aged

4

between  50  and  65 years,  who  are  generally  liberated  from  their  family  obligations,  very
mobile and often in a good financial position, will be more important to the tourism market.

Alongside this significant growth in tourism, there will be a change in demand regarding the
type of tourism. Tourism concerning cultural and natural heritage is expected to grow most.
Many  tourists  however  have  special  needs  which  need  to  be  catered  for  to  enable  them  to
fully benefit from tourism. Apart from the 10 % of the population recognised as handicapped
in one way or another, a growing number of tourists can be expected to suffer from reduced
mobility as a result of a temporary disability or age.

One  of  the  main  problems  of  leisure  tourism  in  Europe  is  its  concentration  on  specific,
restricted  periods  of  the  year.  This  leads  to  poor  working  and  employment  conditions  with
negative  effects  on  qualification  levels,  service  quality  and  business  competitiveness,  along
with  the  saturation  of  the  communication  infrastructure  and  tourist  facilities.  The  expected
increase in the number of over-fifties should help reduce the concentration of tourist activity
during  peak  periods,  particularly  school  holidays,  and  improve  the  staggering  of  the  tourist
season.

Similarly, the deregulation of transport  services  and the  development  of transport  networks,
the  increased  efficiency  of  the  single  market  and  the  growing  availability  of  information
society  tools,  will,  by  increasing  the  demand  for  tourist  activities  and  services,  continue  to
promote the mobility of citizens and contribute to the  growing internationalisation of tourist
flows.  For  visitors  from  non-member  countries,  the  single  currency  will  increase  price
transparency  and  make  Europe  even  more  attractive  as  a  destination.  This  can  be  used  as  a
further selling point for Europe.

Main challenges

European tourism, its businesses and destinations, are faced with major challenges which are
both opportunities and threats. First there is the continuation of significant growth in tourism
demand  and  the  volume  of  tourism  in  Europe,  along  with  diverging  developments  in  the
various  types  of  tourism.  An  appropriate  response  to  these  changes  may  be  found  only
through the emergence of new types of tourism.

Some challenges are of key importance: the lack of skilled manpower for certain jobs, mainly
because  of  the  working  conditions;  the  development  of  transport  and  its  effect  on  flows,
service quality, sustainable development and environmental protection; and the adoption and
incorporation  of  new  information  and  communication  technologies  as  a  factor  of
competitiveness.

2.

Specific features of the tourism sector

Tourism  is  a  service  sector  with  a  particularly  complex  product  which  depends  on  an
extremely fragmented supply. Each link in the chain (travel agencies, tour operators, carriers,
hoteliers,  restaurateurs,  etc.)  offers  one  element  in  the  overall  product.  Together,  these
components  determine  tourists'  experiences  and  their  appreciation  of  the  quality  of  the
service.  The  tourist  destination  is  the  main  place  of  consumption  of  tourist  services  and,
therefore, the location and place of activity of tourist businesses. Tourists identify the product
with both the businesses providing a service and the destination visited.

Given  that,  in  the  main,  tourism  activity  does  not  meet  a  vital  need,  tourist  behaviour  is
particularly volatile and subject to psychological and social influences, personal sensitivities

5

and short-term reactions. If the image of just one link in the chain is affected, it is the whole
tourism chain that suffers the consequences! The foot-and-mouth epidemic and the various oil
slicks  that  have  affected  European  coastlines  in  the  recent  past  have  already  shown  the
negative  effect  of  a  current  event  on  the  image  of  a  tourist  destination  or  region,  to  the
immediate detriment of the tourism industry.

The tourism product is extremely diverse. Natural and cultural resources, tourist facilities, the
communications  infrastructure,  accommodation  and  restaurants  are  the  basic  resources  of  a
tourist  destination.  The  combination  of  local  tourism  resources  and  the  services  offered
determines  the  type  of  tourism  to  which  a  destination  belongs,  such  as  coastal  or  mountain
tourism, sport or  religious tourism,  thermal or  gastronomic tourism and, of course, business
tourism.

In addition, vertical interdependence between tourism businesses is more pronounced than in
most other sectors  of  the  economy.  Such  interdependence,  which  also  exists  at  world  level,
results in what  are sometimes  complex  structures  and  trends  in  commercial  relations.  Apart
from  businesses  and  their  representative  organisations,  destinations,  with  their  different
activities, combining public and private interests, are important stakeholders.

Because of its diversity and fragmented nature, the tourism sector has no clear identity. This
may,  in  part,  explain  why  tourism  has  featured  little  at  a  political  level,  compared  with  its
economic and social importance.

The diversity of the business environment and the public and private stakeholders involved in
tourism,  its  effect  on  many  other  economic  activities,  its  very  wide  social  and  emotional
dimension  and  the  geographically  dispersed  and  very  variable  consumption  of  the  product
mean  that  tourism  is  of  a  very  pronounced  horizontal  nature.  A  large  number,  if  not  the
majority,  of  political  fields  may  directly  affect  it  considerably,  such  as  those  for  enterprise,
transport  and  regional  development.  The  annual  report  on  Community  measures  affecting
tourism  (2000) 3,  which  the  Commission  drew  up  at  the  same  time  as  this  Communication,
provides detailed information on this subject.

Article  3(u)  of  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community  provides  for  Community
action to comprise measures in the field of tourism for the purposes set out in Article 2 of the
Treaty.  These  include,  in  particular,  sustainable  development  and  growth,  a  high  level  of
employment, social  and  economic  cohesion  and  the  convergence  of  economic  performance,
along with raising the quality of life and European integration.

More specifically, tourism contributes to a large extent to the objectives of enterprise policy.
The  diversity  of  products  and  services,  the  different  locations  and  the  development  of  the
market  towards  a  sustainable  tourism,  open  to  everyone,  will  lead  to  the  creation  of  new
markets for innovative enterprises, especially SMEs. The great diversity of jobs offered in this
sector may provide young people with their first access to the job market, help combat social
exclusion and promote equal opportunities at all levels of responsibility.

Tourism is an  important aspect of the  quality  of life  of  EU  citizens,  which  could be  further
improved  by  promoting  sustainable,  high-quality,  competitive  tourism  in  Europe,  while

3

In accordance with Article 5 of Council Decision 92/421/EEC of 13 July 1992 on a Community action
plan to assist tourism, OJ L 231 of 13.8.1992, p. 26, since 1994 the Commission has published a series
of reports on Community measures affecting tourism: COM(1994) 74 final of 6.4.1994, COM(1996) 29
final of 5.2.1996, COM(1997) 332 final of 2.7.1997 and COM(2001) 171 final of 28.3.2001.

6

                                                
respecting the carrying capacity of its natural and cultural areas, especially Natura 2000 sites.
It also brings European citizens closer together as they discover and share common European
values.

The  measures  recommended  in  Chapter IV  are  in  keeping  with  the  strategic  objective  of
aiming to make the European economy the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based
economy  in  the  world  (e-Europe  action  plan).  Tourism  is  a  priority  area  for  the  use  of
Information  and  Communication  Technology  (ICT),  both  by  industry  (interaction  between
stakeholders, new services) and the consumer (access to appropriate mobile services).

III.

THE NEW CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN TOURISM

1.

The "Tourism and Employment" process

In  November  1997,  a  European  Conference  on  Tourism  and  Employment 4  was  held  in
Luxembourg  shortly  before  the  Luxembourg  European  Council  on  Employment 5  and  the
Council of Tourism Ministers of 26 November 1997 6. It recognised the benefits of achieving
the balanced, sustainable development of European tourism and called for more far-reaching
action in response to the Luxembourg Conference. In 1998, the Commission set up a High-
level Group on Tourism and Employment. On the basis of its recommendations 7, which were
widely  approved,  the  Commission  submitted  a  Communication  on  Enhancing  tourism's
potential for employment 8. This received strong support from the Parliament, the Economic
and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions and gave rise to the conclusions of
the Council of  21 June 1999, which called upon the  Commission and the Member  States  to
co-operate closely in order to maximise the contribution which tourism may make to growth
and employment, particularly with respect to four subjects (information, training, quality and
sustainability) and resulted in the creation of working groups (see Annex 1).

The  main  results  and  recommendations  of  each  of  the  working  groups  are  summarised  in
Annex 2. They agreed on a number of common messages, in particular:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

4

5

6

7

8

the fundamental role of information, knowledge and its dissemination,

the  need  for  competent  human  resources  motivated  by  medium  and  long-term
prospects,

the integration of environmental policy and the promotion of sustainable tourism,

recognition  of  the  need  for  European  harmonisation  of  the  concept  of  quality  of
tourism services and infrastructures, and its assessment and monitoring,

the need to speed up the integration of information society tools and services in all
tourism activities and businesses, in particular SMEs,

Luxembourg Conference, Employment and Tourism: guidelines for action, 4-5.11.1997.
Luxembourg European Council, 21-22.11.1997.
Conclusions of the Council (Tourism) of 26.11.1997.
European Tourism - New partnerships for employment: Conclusions and recommendations of the High
Level Group on Tourism and Employment, European Commission, October 1998.
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament,  the  Economic  and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Enhancing tourism's potential for employment,
COM(1999) 205 final, JO C 178-03 of 23.6.1999.

7

                                                
– 

2.

the  need  for  a  network  of  the  stakeholders  involved  and  a  generalised  partnership,
particularly  between  those  in  the  field  to  ensure  implementation  of  all  the
recommendations.

Other important questions for European tourism

As described above, since the conclusions of the Council of June 1999 a period of increased
co-operation has begun and important new questions have emerged.

This  working  method  has  been  supplemented  by  ministerial  conferences  in  Vilamoura  (P),
Lille  (F)  and  Bruges  (B),  each  held  by  the  Member  State  holding  the  presidency  of  the
European  Union  and  open  to  all  the  stakeholders  involved  in  European  tourism.  The
conferences  are  gradually  opening  up  to  the  representatives  of  candidate  countries.  They
usually  result  in  a  presidency  document  which  is  submitted  at  a  session  of  the  Internal
Market/Consumers/Tourism  Council 9  and  have  given  steady  support  and  encouragement  to
the co-operation process.

First, attention should be paid to the discussions held at the  ministerial  conferences  and  the
priorities which emerged. At Vilamoura, on 11 May 2000, an improvement was called for in
the co-ordination of national policies and political recognition of the role of tourism.

In  Lille  on  22 November  2000,  the  Presidency  advocated  consolidating  the  work  of  the
Tourism Advisory Committee and proposed a set of 15 points which could be the subject of
greater  consultation.  Concern  focused  on  setting  up  a  network  of  pilot  regions,  sustainable
tourism, the exchange of information, improved knowledge of the tourism sector and training.

On 2 July 2001 in Bruges, the Presidency, wishing to ensure "tourism for all", summarised the
need to make tourist activities accessible to certain target groups, in particular young people,
old people, those living on the threshold of poverty, the unemployed and disabled people. As
regards  the  latter,  the  desire  was  expressed  for  indications  of  accessibility  to  facilities  and
services to be simplified and harmonised. This resulted in the Conclusions of the Presidency
on  "Tourism  for  all",  which  were  ratified  at  the  meeting  of  the  Council  on  27 September
2001.

Following more detailed discussions with tourism associations and civil society organisations,
their  representatives  were  included  in  the  working  groups  and  their  concerns  broadly
integrated  in  the  final  recommendations.  On  this  occasion  the  associations  highlighted  the
need for management and promotion of the image of Europe for the purposes of tourism, in
particular  to  offset  the  negative  effects  of  events  related  to  public  safety,  even  before  the
attacks in the United States. They also stressed sustainability and workers' interests.

Other  important  questions  concern  Community  policies  such  as:  transport  (sustainable
mobility,  passenger  rights  and  safety  and  transport  quality),  competition  (concentration  of
businesses,  vertical  integration  and  state  aid),  internal  market  (freedom  to  provide  tourist
services) equal opportunities, consumer protection (tourists in a highly transnational market),
regional policy and  structural  instruments  to  assist  tourism,  trade  and  international  relations
(GATS) and enlargement.

9

Briefing  by  the  Presidency,  Council  of  the  European  Union,  24.11.2000,  doc. 13832/00;  Presidency
report  on  the  Bruges  Conference,  Council  of  the  European  Union,  dd.  18.9.2001,  doc. 11897/01;
Conclusions of the Presidency, Council of the European Union, dd. 18.9.2001, doc. 11894/01.

8

                                                
For example, the strategy adopted for the internal market in services aims to suppress national
barriers to free movement of services within the EU in order to make providing cross-border
services as easy providing services within a Member State. This strategy also covers tourism.
It has two phases. The first is the identification of existing obstacles; the second will consist
of proposing appropriate solutions in the light of the results obtained. Furthermore, the White
Paper  on  "European  transport  policy  for  2010:  time  to  decide” 10  outlines  how  to  achieve
tourist transport that is more efficient, sustainable and of higher quality. The analysis of the
civil  aviation  sector  presented  in  this  White  Paper  has  been  updated  to  reflect  the  situation
after the attacks on 11 September 2001 in the United States 11.

For all the stakeholders, including the Commission, a better basic knowledge is essential for
the success of most of the measures proposed. This requires, for instance, improved statistics.
The volume and quality of the data currently available are insufficient. Furthermore, given the
complexity  of  the  tourism  industry,  a  detailed  analysis  of  the  sector  is  being  carried  out  in
order to have the necessary knowledge for targeting future action.

In the short term, certain planned events deserve consideration: 2002 as International Year of
Ecotourism,  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development  of  September 2002  in
Johannesburg, and 2003 as European Year of People with Disabilities.

IV.

A.

STRATEGIC APPROACH AND PROPOSALS FOR ACTION

Strategic approach

The  objective  of  the  "Tourism  and  Employment"  process  is  to  create  the  conditions  and
provide  the  basis  for  sustainable,  high-quality  tourism  and  competitive  European  tourism
businesses.  The  strategy  for  achieving  this  is  based  on  a  number  of  points,  the  main  ones
being:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

10

11

to  follow  a  knowledge-driven  approach,  to  know  how  to  better  exploit  existing
information,  to  acquire  and  develop  know-how,  to  innovate  by  developing  new
processes and to benefit from best practices. This also requires better understanding
of the organisation of the stakeholders, their interrelation and their interdependence;

to  promote  the  adaptation  of  the  sector  and  its  businesses  to  market  developments:
such adaptation requires the development of tourism supply, the quality of products,
the availability of competent human resources and the management methods of up-
to-date businesses, with particular emphasis on the needs of SMEs;

to make use of all the policies and instruments at various levels which can have an
effect  on  tourism:  this  means  monitoring,  assessing  and  managing  their  effects  on
tourism and helping incorporate tourism issues in the various policies concerned;

to implement a limited number of measures, provisions and tools  which respond to
the priority areas;

to define, with all stakeholders, the  targets to  be  achieved,  timetables and  costs  for
the above measures;

COM(2001) 370 of 12.9.2001.
COM(2001) 574 of 10.10.2001.

9

                                                
– 

to  speed  up  the  transition  of  all  bodies,  authorities  and  businesses  in  the  tourism
sector to the information society and promote the use of tools and services based on
ICT, including their incorporation in a network.

The measures must meet the following criteria:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

B.

a)

1.

be in line with the  process of  convergence of Member States'  policies via the open
co-ordination  method,  involving  all  the  stakeholders,  through  a  co-operation
approach;

be  based  as  far  as  possible  on  existing  measures  and  structures,  and  improve  and
develop them making them more appropriate for the action to  be taken,  rather  than
creating new ones;

strictly observe the principle of subsidiarity, which will determine the distribution of
responsibilities amongst the various stakeholders;

involve  full  partnership  between  public  and  private  stakeholders  and  the  various
levels  and  interests  of  political,  administrative,  professional  and  social  origin
concerned, in order that all identify with the process and with the measures proposed
and granted;

receive  added  value  through  integration  in  a  co-operation  structure  promoting  the
implementation of action at Community level.

Proposed actions

A new impetus for a consistent, integrated approach

Incorporation of tourism in Community policies and measures

Many Community policies and measures involve tourism stakeholders and directly influence
their activities. Since 1992, the need has been felt for all these measures to be evaluated and
monitored.  The  contributions  and  discussions  of  the  working  parties  have  confirmed  the
major importance and impact of measures affecting tourism under many Community policies.
Given  that  these  measures  are  mostly  governed  by  the  principle  of  subsidiarity,  the
Commission and the Member States should co-ordinate with each other.

The  first  measure  proposed  aims  to  increase  contact  with  those  responsible  for  these
Community  policies  and  initiatives.  It  will  prepare  for  and  strengthen  measures  2  and  3
below.

Measure 1: Introduction by the Commission, in co-operation and co-ordination with the
Member States and the tourism industry, of mechanisms to improve the integration of the
concerns  of  all  tourism  stakeholders  in  Community  policies  and  initiatives  affecting  the
sector.

These  mechanisms  primarily  concern  two  fields,  namely  a  more  systematic  assessment  of
the  effects  of  Community  measures  on  tourism  and  fully  taking  account  of  the  sector's
interests and needs when measures are drawn up and implemented. In the short term priority
will  be  given  to  the  drafting  of  the  Sixth  Framework  Programme  and  the  subject  of
"information society technologies".

10

2.

Consolidation of the new co-operation approach  between  tourism  stakeholders
through the open co-ordination method.

Council  Decision  of  22 December  1986  gave  the  Tourism  Advisory  Committee  the  task  of
facilitating  exchanges  of  information,  consultation  and,  where  appropriate,  co-operation.
Recent  discussions,  in  particular  those  held  during  ministerial  conferences,  highlighted  the
need to pursue and consolidate the work undertaken by the Advisory Committee.

Measure 2Strengthen the role of the Advisory Committee on Tourism.

At the Commission's initiative or at the request of the Member States, this Committee will
be able to discuss any matter which may be of interest to Member States, related to issues
affecting  tourism.  In  addition  to  the  participation  of  representatives  of  the  Commission
services  concerned,  this  discussion  could  benefit  from  the  opinions  and  expertise  of  those
from the industry and other parties involved.

The  1999  Communication  had  already  mentioned  that  the  system  for  consulting  European
tourism organisations should be reviewed. The new system of dialogue with the industry and
representatives of civil society set up under the "tourism and employment" process has proved
its  effectiveness.  Involvement  of  all  the  stakeholders  very  early  in  the  definition  and
discussion stages of proposals linked to tourism contributes to improving proposals, speeding
up their application and facilitating the monitoring of progress.

Measure  3:  Promote  a  better  interface  with  the  tourism  industry  and  other  groups  of
stakeholders.

This should involve holding an annual European Tourism Forum. The structure and content
of the Forum would be based on proposals and preparatory work,  allowing the industry to
raise and discuss the areas of greatest concern. The Forum would bring together high-level
figures  from the industry, civil society  and the European,  national and  regional  authorities
responsible for tourism. Discussions would focus on one or two subjects of priority for the
industry.

The  Commission  could  launch  this  measure  by  organising  the  first  Forum  in  close  co-
operation with the other stakeholders. Afterwards they should be organised by the European
tourism industry,  in  co-operation with the Community institutions  and  the  Member  States.
The  success  of  this  Forum  will  depend  on  strong,  lasting  commitment  on  the  part  of  the
industry.

3.

Increase interaction with destinations and their representatives

The destination is the main focus of tourism activity and shapes the image of tourism. It is the
place of interaction between public and private stakeholders and where almost all the SMEs in
the tourism industry are gathered. In one way or another, all the working parties identified the
need  for  promoting  links  between  destinations  through  partnership  networks,  particularly
where  there  is  a  cross-border  and/or  interregional  element.  This  increased  interaction
corresponds  to  many  of  the  elements  and  criteria  for  a  strategic  approach  described  above.
Furthermore,  some  of  the  measures  proposed  in  the  rest  of  this  document  will  be  able  to

11

succeed  and have a  significant  impact  only  with  the  active  participation  of  destinations  and
their stakeholders.

The  exchange  of  information,  good  practice  and  pilot  experiments,  the  search  for  common
solutions,  the  support  or  integration  of  the  stakeholders  and  the  networking  of  tourist
destinations  are  at  the  centre  of  the  needs  identified.  They  contribute  to  improving  the
management  and  promotion  of  destinations,  enhancing  the  tourism  potential  and  ensuring
reasonable  exploitation  of  heritage,  promoting  the  development  of  local  tourism  which
generates jobs, and creating competitive businesses. It is also in this context that support for
SMEs, security and the quality and accessibility of services for everybody could be improved.

Some partnerships  of  limited  geographical  coverage  already  exist,  often  following  a  project
carried  out  with  Community  financing.  Overall  coherence  of  these  activities  is  rarely
envisaged  even  though  it  is  necessary  for  the  emergence  of  partnerships.  The  attention  of
destinations and those concerned on the ground should be drawn to these possibilities and an
approach developed.

Measure  4:  Increase  interaction  between  the  other  stakeholders  and  destinations  and
promote  partnerships  between  the  various  players  (destinations/regions;  economic  and
social stakeholders in private and public spheres and associations).

By creating a network, this measure will make it possible to co-operate at European level to
promote  sustainable,  high-quality  tourism  and  competitive  businesses.  In  this  way  it  will
help  strengthen  the  image  of  Europe  as  a  tourist  destination.  The  role  of  the  Commission
will  be  limited  to  providing  the  initial  stimulation  necessary  for  creating  networks  and
partnerships.  This  will  be  done  in  close  co-operation  with  the  Member  States  and  will
include  the  recognition  of  the  breakdown  of  responsibilities  between  public  and  private
stakeholders and associations.

Non- financial assistance from the Commission, national and regional authorities and private
stakeholders  and  associations  could  facilitate  initiatives  by  players  concerned.  However,
financing should be covered principally by contributions by the participants/beneficiaries of
the  network/partnership.  Financial  instruments  available  under  the  various  Community
policies concerned could be used for specific initial stimulation measures or in response to
European political priorities.

The  implementation  of  measures  1  to  4  will  help  consolidate  the  new  policy  based  on  the
open co-ordination method as set out in the White Paper on European Governance. Its success
depends  on  the  firm  commitment  and  active  participation  of  those  in  a  position  of
responsibility.

b)

4.

Availability of the necessary knowledge and tools for all stakeholders

Mobilise  existing  competence  and  support  centres  for  the  development  of
knowledge and observation regarding tourism

Specialised bodies or centres for the tourism industry exist at national and/or regional level in
most  Member  States.  They  provide  the  infrastructure  and  basic  support  necessary  for  the
different stakeholders involved in tourism, in particular destinations, to meet their needs and
assess  developments  in  the  sector.  It  appears  that  the  existing  Community  structures  and

12

instruments  are  adequate  to  provide  the  support  necessary  for  implementing  the  working
group’s recommendations 12.

The  creation  of  a  network  of  functions  and  services  useful  for  tourism  stakeholders  will
provide  significant  added  value  at  Community  level.  It  is  necessary  for  the  success  of  the
various measures envisaged, which include:

– 

– 

generalised,  easier  access  for  local  and  regional  centres  to  all  the  information
available  in  Europe  on  tourism  and  direct  access  to  the  best  European  experts  on
each subject;

the possibility of generating special attention for subjects of Community or European
importance,  simplified  co-ordination  for  increasing  the  knowledge  necessary  for
public and private stakeholders to act in a way which will promote sustainable, high-
quality, competitive tourism.

Measure  5:  Networking  services  and  support  functions  which  are  necessary  for  one  or
more of these measures and the resulting activity (e.g. activities resulting from measures 7
to  10).  Their  accessibility  to  stakeholders  will  be  ensured  by  competence  centres
(observatories,  study  and  research  centres  or  other  bodies  of  this  type)  at  national,
regional and local levels.

The  approach  will  be  based  on  the  open,  voluntary  participation  of  the  centres.  First,  the
Member  States  will  be  asked  to  give  details  of  the  centres  with  the  required  competence.
Where appropriate, the Commission could give the names of supra-national or international
centres  qualified  in  this  area.  The  correct  approach  for  creating  the  network  will  be
discussed at the Advisory Committee with the contribution of those involved in measure 4.

In  general,  the  creation  of  the  network  will  take  place  without  any  additional  costs.  If
necessary, additional resources could be found mainly at national, regional and local levels
from public and/or private stakeholders. The Commission could facilitate and encourage the
measure by providing non-financial assistance. Where appropriate, on the initiative of those
directly involved, the measure could receive financial support under the various Community
policies concerned.

A  pilot/co-ordination  body  for  the  services  on  the  network  involving  the  stakeholders
concerned  and  comprising  representatives  of  specific  functions  will  be  set  up.  It  should
remain under the responsibility of the authorities currently in charge of the centres.

5.

Promoting stakeholder access to Community instruments

The objective is to make good use of Community instruments - whether or not financial - for
the  benefit  of  the  tourism  industry.  This  will  require  keeping  stakeholders  better  informed
about  these  instruments,  particularly  by  periodically  updating  the  Internet  guide  on  EU

12

The  recent  proposals  submitted  in  response  to  the  call  for  proposals  for  ERDF  innovative  measures
(2001-2006)  include,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  the  development  or  use  of  competence  and  support
centres at regional or local levels. Training needs, the creation of networks, support for SMEs and the
monitoring  of  innovation  form  the  basis  of  the  work  of  these  centres,  with,  in  many  cases,  a  special
focus on tourism.

13

                                                
schemes to support tourism, learning from the past and improving the fixing of priorities for
programmes and measures in the future 13. In this context, existing support networks financed
by the Commission (Euro Info Centres and Innovation Centres) should provide an important
contribution 14.

It is up to the Member States and the regional authorities, in co-ordination with the tourism
industry at all levels, to make proper use of such instruments. Of the Community instruments,
the  Structural  Funds  and  the  R&D  framework  programme  are  particularly  important,  given
both their financial weight and the fact that they allow the performance of concrete projects in
a wide range of fields.

Measure  6:  The  Member  States,  the  regional  authorities  and  the  tourism  industry  will
introduce  measures  and  schemes  for  the  good  use  of  Community  financial  and  non-
financial instruments to the benefit of the tourism industry.

The  stakeholders  particularly  concerned,  including  the  tourism  authorities,  should  benefit
from the work and partnership of the Commission by closely monitoring the implementation
of Community instruments in the field and their use for the benefit of the tourism industry.
For instance, the Member States could create working parties or hold workshops to facilitate
the  access  of  the  tourism  industry  to  these  instruments  (e.g.  structural  funds,  research
framework  programme)  and  promote  dialogue  with  the  regions  and  the  other  stakeholders
involved  in  tourism  projects.  This  should  also  enable  all  the  players,  including  the
Commission, to draw conclusions enabling them to draw up more appropriate priorities and
provisions in the future. This measure and the exchange and assessment of experiences will
help increase the co-operation provided for in measures 1 to 4, from which this measure will
also benefit.

c)

Create the tools necessary for implementing specific, technical measures

The activities resulting from the first four measures will be based, primarily, on the network
set up under measure 5. The network will make use of sufficiently harmonised methods and
tools  which  are  well-known  and  available,  directly  or  in  the  form  of  services,  to  all  the
stakeholders concerned. Initially this concerns the assessment methods, manuals and guides,
statistics and, more generally, tools for improving knowledge. This is an open list which will
develop according to the progress achieved in ongoing activities and the new needs identified
by the various stakeholders. It will be updated regularly.

6.

Satellite accounts for tourism and statistics

Statistical information as it exists in Europe is insufficient from both the qualitative and the
quantitative points of view for the purposes of all those involved in tourism. The statistics do
not fully reflect the impact and economic importance of tourism as an economic sector.

The  World  Tourism  Organisation  (WTO),  the  Organisation  for  Economic  Co-operation  and
Development (OECD) and Eurostat have jointly created a new series of indicators, Tourism
Satellite Accounts (TSA), which should improve the appraisal of tourism activities at national
level  and  the  importance  of  tourism  in  the  overall  economy.  Following  its  latest  studies,

13

14

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/services/tourism/tourism-publications/documents/roadmap_en.pdf.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/networks/index.htm.

14

                                                
Eurostat is planning to present a technical manual for the implementation of the TSA  at the
beginning of 2002.

Measure 7: In co-ordination with the public and private stakeholders concerned and with
their  support,  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  will  take  the  necessary  steps  to
introduce Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs).

The Member States and the Commission must define the implementing procedures and the
responsibilities  of  the  various  stakeholders  concerned,  including  the  tourism  industry,  and
draw up a realistic timetable. A financing  plan, to be divided  between  the  Member States,
the Commission and those working in the tourism industry, should be drawn up. In an initial
stage (2002-2003) the Commission will propose financial support to examine feasibility and
to  create  TSAs  in  the  countries  which  wish  to  get  involved,  under  the  multi-annual
programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship (2001-2005) 15.

Council Directive 95/57/EC laid down the statistical information to be collected in the field of
tourism 16. Its implementation is governed by Decision 99/35/EC 17. To ensure the availability
of  better  statistical  information  in  the  future,  it  would  be  desirable  to  examine  the  need  for
changes in the legal base for tourism statistics. The presentation of the statistical information
should also be adapted to the specific needs of stakeholders in order to make it more directly
usable.

7.

A European Agenda 21 for tourism

Several  attempts  have  been  made  at  international,  regional  and  local  levels  to  adapt  the
principle  of  sustainable  development  to  the  specific  characteristics  of  the  tourism  industry.
There is growing demand at European level for the identification of strategic  guidelines and
the  measures  necessary  to  achieve  a  sustainable  development  model  for  tourism.  The
implementation  of  sustainable  development  principles  in  destinations  and  the  various  sub-
sectors of tourism activity is also perceived as added value for the image of the destinations.
This  requires  a  sustainable  development  strategy  for  tourism  in  Europe,  in  the  form  of  a
comprehensive action programme: this instrument is generally known as Agenda 21.

15

16

17

OJ L 333 of 29.12.2000, p. 84.
Directive 95/57/EC of 23.11.1995 on the collection of statistical information in the field of tourism, OJ
L 291 of 6.12.1995, p. 32
Decision  99/35/EC  of  9 December  1998  on  the  procedures  for  implementing  Council  Directive
95/57/EC, OJ L 9 of 15.1.1999, p. 23

15

                                                
Measure 8: Promote sustainable development of tourism activities in Europe by defining
and implementing an Agenda 21.

This Agenda will concern several, particularly important, aspects such as: the protection of
natural  resources,  the  incorporation  of  environmental  and  poverty  problems  in  tourism
policy,  improving  the  participation  of  all  the  stakeholders  and  the  monitoring  of
implementation,  and  the  social  responsibility  of  businesses.  It  should  be  in  line  with  the
overall approach to sustainable development defined for the EU.

The  Commission  will  start  drafting  the  document  on  the  basis  of  the  results  of  the
Sustainability Working Party in order to speed up the development of Agenda 21 in Europe.
A  steering  group  will  manage  the  work,  under  the  chairmanship  of  the  Commission,  with
representatives  of  the  Member  States  along  with  representatives  of  other  tourism
stakeholders,  including  environmental  NGOs.  The  document  should  be  available  as  a
contribution  at  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development  in  September  2002  in
Johannesburg.

8.

Guidance documents

The  concerted  definition  of  orientation,  which  results  from  a  common  effort,  contributes  to
improving the quality and competitivity of the European tourism sector. Guidance documents
should be produced as needs emerge. Initially two specific needs have been identified.

Broad consensus emerged during discussions and seminars on the need for better signposting,
harmonised  at  European  level,  to  meet  the  need  of  disabled  tourists  for  information  on  the
accessibility  of  tourist  sites  and  facilities.  At  the  moment  different  systems  coexist,  which
makes it difficult to interpret the quality of the services actually on offer.

The  working  parties  also  identified  the  need  to  move  on  from  simple  training  to  a  global
solution, so that the tourism industry can possess all the skills necessary for innovation. The
solution is an approach called "Learning Areas", which is to offer both a general framework
defining  the  necessary  skills  and  allow  their  implementation  in  a  specific  geographical  area
(destination).  A  manual  on  this  subject  will  provide  general  guidance,  identifying  the  basic
components  for  a  Learning  Area.  It  will  take  into  account  the  emergence  of  an  innovative
environment,  provide  advice,  seek  appropriate  solutions  and  provide  the  necessary  support
and training for implementation. It will be made  available to local and regional competence
centres to help them innovate in their own Learning Areas.

16

Measure  9:  Depending  on  how  needs  develop,  European,  national,  regional  and  local
authorities  promote  and  support  the  production  of  guidance  documents  on  general
subjects of social and economic interest. They will ensure technical co-operation for this
purpose. Initially two manuals will be drawn up. One will contribute to harmonising the
accessibility criteria of sites for disabled people and the other the definition of Learning
Areas for tourism.

The  Commission  intends,  after  consulting  the  representative  organisations  of  the  tourism
industry  and  disabled  people,  to  start  work  on  drawing  up  harmonised  criteria  for  the
accessibility  of  tourist  sites  and  facilities  to  disabled  tourists.  They  should  result  in  the
simplification  of  the  relevant  signposting  and  should  be  used  to  raise  the  awareness  of
stakeholders,  particularly  in  the  context  of  the  European  Year  of  People  with  Disabilities,
2003.

The production of other guidance documents should be based on increased co-operation as
provided for in measures 1 to 4. In this spirit, the European Centre for the Development of
Vocational  Training  could  be  an  important  partner  in  drawing  up  a  manual  on  Learning
Areas for tourism.

The Commission will further promote the dissemination and application of good practice in
sustainable  tourism  along  the  lines  of  the  document  on  "Sustainable  Tourism  and  Natura
2000:  Guidelines,  Initiatives  and  Good  Practice  in  Europe".  The  follow-up  of  the
recommendation on integrated management of coastal zones will provide an important basis
for such good practice.

9.

Assessment methods and tools: indicators and benchmarking

Greater knowledge  is  needed  to  improve  understanding  of  the  structures  and  functioning  of
the  tourism  industry  and  to  deal  with  its  major  problems.  For  example  the  staggering  of
holidays, a subject which has been raised many times, has a direct effect on the labour market
and  training,  the  quality  of  services,  the  competitiveness  of  businesses  and  sustainable
development.  The  use  of  new  technologies,  for  instance,  could  contribute  to  improving  the
use of tourist facilities  and  thus  reduce  the  negative  effects  of  the  concentration  of  tourism.
Indicators  and  benchmarking  methods  must  be  made  available  and  used  for  monitoring  the
various features of the sector. The same features are found when other important subjects for
tourism are broached.

17

Measure  10:  Draw  up  and  disseminate  the  assessment  methods  and  tools  (quality
indicators and benchmarking) necessary for monitoring the quality of tourist destinations
and services.

Activity  should  concentrate  on  the  methods  and  tools  which  could  be  adopted  by
destinations  and  tourism  service  businesses  for  their  own  use.  First  of  all,  the  existing
methods and tools should be assessed and if necessary adapted. Studies could also be carried
out  to  analyse  and  determine  the  subjects  and  requirements  not  yet  covered.  This  work
would be based on the findings presented by the working groups and the relevant networks
and knowledge gathered under measure 5, namely co-operation with European competence
centres.  The  results  will  be  disseminated  with  the  support  of  co-operation  resulting  from
measure 4.

Apart from the contribution of the tourism industry and destinations, the work necessary for
carrying  out  this  measure  should  benefit  on  a  case-by-case  basis  from  national  and/or
Community financial assistance.

10.

Enlargement and international aspects

The  strategies  applicable  to  tourism  policies  and  activities  in  the  European  Union  and  the
related measures are equally applicable to the countries of the European Economic Area and
the countries applying for membership. These countries could be involved in the work.

All the above measures should incorporate the phenomenon of increasing globalisation which
also  exists  in  the  field  of  tourism  and  promote  European  tourism  at  international  level.  In
order  to  pool  efforts,  the  Commission  will  promote  a  process  of  consultation  with  other
international  bodies  and  closer  co-operation  with  organisations  such  as  the  World  Tourism
Organisation  (WTO)  and  the  Organisation  for  Economic  Co-operation  and  Development
(OECD). The Member States, the tourism industry and the sectors of civil society concerned
are requested to do the same in their areas of competence and responsibility.

The Commission will ensure respect of the interests of the tourism industry in negotiations on
the  deregulation  of  services  (GATS),  taking  into  account  the  links  with  sustainable
development,  in  the  context  of  the  World  Trade  Organisation  (WTO).  Co-operation  with
Mediterranean  countries  and  developing  countries  will  also  be  taken  into  account  in
forthcoming work.

V.

CONCLUSION

The Commission and the Member States have co-operated closely on all the subjects covered
by  this  Communication.  Co-operation  has  been  through  working  groups  created  under  the
aegis of the Commission, with the guidance of the Tourism Advisory Committee, to follow up
the  conclusions  of  the  Council  of  21 June  1999.  The  trade  associations  and  civil  society
organisations concerned with tourism have also been directly involved.

Taking into account the conclusions and recommendations drawn up by these working parties
and other important questions for European tourism, the Commission has presented above an
operational framework for monitoring tourism policies and activities in the European Union.
It is linked to a series of measures to be put in place by the various stakeholders concerned.

18

They  will  increase  the  basic  knowledge  of  the  tourism  sector,  promote  business
competitiveness and foster the sustainable development of tourism in the European Union and
its contribution to job creation.

The Commission calls upon the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions to examine the document submitted to them. It
hopes that these proposals will be useful in consolidating, with the proactive commitment of
those responsible for tourism activity in the EU, the new impetus for co-operation generated
since  1999.  Continuing  the  open  co-ordination  method  it  wishes  to  begin  the  gradual
implementation of the measures proposed before the end of the first half of 2002. This will be
done  in  co-operation  with  the  Council  and  the  other  Community  institutions  and  with  the
active participation of the tourism industry and civil society.

19

Annex 1:

Working groups

At  the  beginning  of  2000,  working  groups,  each  with  a  precise  remit,  were  set  up  by  the
Commission  and  the  Member  States  through  the  Tourism  Advisory  Committee 18.  They
consisted of experts appointed by the Member States according to their field of competence
and  representatives  of  the  Commission  departments  relevant  to  the  subject  in  question.  For
each of the working groups, one Member State volunteered to provide a rapporteur 19.

Following three meetings of each working party between the end of February and the end of
August 2000  and  on  the  basis  of  an  interim  report  drawn  up  by  each  rapporteur,  on  7
November 2000 the Commission submitted a progress report on the follow-up to the Council
conclusions of 21 June 1999 20.

The  discussions  on  the  approach  of  the  progress  report,  which  began  at  the  Vilamoura
Conference, continued at an inter-ministerial meeting in Lille. The results of the discussions,
which  advocated  continuing  and  consolidating  the  work  undertaken,  were  submitted  by  the
French Presidency to the Internal Market/Consumers/Tourism Council of 30 November 2000.

The discussions led to two important developments:

– 

– 

the working groups were opened up to representatives of tourism trade associations
and civil society organisations affected by tourism 21.

a fifth working group was set up to examine the "impact and use of services based on
information and communication technologies in the tourism sector" 22.

The cross-cutting nature of the subjects had revealed the importance of ensuring co-ordination
and an exchange of information between the working groups. Two meetings organised by the
Commission in 2001 gave the rapporteurs and the Commission co-ordinators the opportunity
to exchange information, to agree on the best way of approaching the fields to be covered and
to reuse the existing results, whilst preventing overlap between groups.

In the first half of 2001, each working group held three meetings, apart from the fifth working
group  which,  because  it  had  been  set  up  late,  held  four.  They  discussed  the  guidelines  and
definition of priority measures for each subject. The fact that all the stakeholders in European
tourism  were  allowed  to  participate  made  it  possible,  very  early  in  the  process  of  defining
guidelines and measures  for the  future of  European tourism, to  ascertain  the  opinions  of  all
those involved.

18

19

20

21

22

Council  Decision  86/664/EEC  of  22  December  1986  establishing  a  consultation  and  co-operation
procedure in the field of tourism OJ L 384 of 31.12.1986, p. 52.
Working Party on Information: Portugal (2000), then Italy (2001).
Working Party on Training: Denmark.
Working Party on Quality: Spain.
Working Party on Sustainability: France.
Commission Report to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and
the Committee of the Regions "Progress report on the follow-up to the conclusions of the Council on
Tourism and Employment", COM(2000) 696 final.
Unions,  regional  authority  associations, 
organisations.
Portugal provided the rapporteur.

tourist  associations,  environmental  non-governmental

20

                                                
The final reports of the working groups were drawn up by the rapporteurs on the basis of the
contributions of the  other  members  of  the  working  groups  and  the  various  discussions.  The
reports were forwarded to the Member States and to the tourism trade associations and  civil
society  organisations  concerned  in  the  middle  of  July  2001.  The  meeting  of  the  Tourism
Advisory  Committee  held  on  5 September  2001  which  these  associations  were  invited  to
attend,  gave  them  the  opportunity  to  present  their  comments  on  the  results  of  the  working
groups and the guidelines and measures proposed.

As regards the socio-economic stakeholders identified in the progress report of  7 November
2000,  only  the  discussion  with  the  local  and  regional  authorities  did  not  reveal  sufficient
progress. The Commission considers the opening of these discussions a priority at the current
stage of submitting recommendations. Many proposed measures cannot be effective if they do
not receive the support of local and regional authorities in their implementation.

21

Annex 2:

Main results and recommendations of the five working parties 23

Working Group A - To facilitate the exchange and dissemination of information,
particularly through new technologies

On  the  basis  of  a  comprehensive  list  of  potential  stakeholders,  an  information  typology,
and  an  analysis  of  the  needs  of  the  various  players,  the  working  group  identified  the  most
urgent  need  to  be  to  gather  the  following  information:  volume  trends  regarding  tourism
demand,  characteristics  of  national  and  foreign  visitors  (incoming/outgoing),  the  economic
role  of  tourism,  the  structure  and  features  of  tourism  activities  by  sector,  a  list  of  primary
resources  and  their  characteristics,  and  a  list  of  the  legislation  and  regulations  regarding
tourism.

Most existing sources and information tools cover both supply and demand, the economic
role and  its  repercussions,  human  resources,  legislative  and  financing  bodies,  databases  and
documentation. The form each subject takes varies a lot from one Member State to another.
Moreover, as regards national sampling, the Member States do not have a common standard
regarding quality for accurate research methods. The data cannot, therefore, be summarised or
correlated  to  produce  a  plausible  trend  within  the  European  Union  over  a  period  of  several
years. Furthermore, the implementation and observance of Council Directive 95/57/EC on the
collection of statistical information in the field of tourism are still considered inadequate.

The policies and measures regarding the dissemination of information on subjects related
to  tourism  were  grouped  together  into  eight  categories:  methodological  documents;
documents  presenting  tourist  statistics  and  the  socio-economic  results  of  tourism;  oral
contributions; CD-ROM; Internet and discussion fora; databases; platforms for the promotion
of  tourism  and  destination  management  systems;  platforms  for  the  marketing  of  tourism
products.

In each of the categories, the most obvious gaps regarding sources and tools were highlighted,
giving rise to the following five recommendations:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

23

to improve the assessment of the economic role and influence of tourism

to improve the dissemination of information between the various parties;

to improve information on destinations in Europe;

to  improve  the  analysis  of  tourism  demand,  market  research  and  the  analysis  of
original markets;

to  gather  information  on  the  labour  market  and  training  available  (Working  Group
B).

The  ideas  expressed  are  those  of  the  experts  participating  in  the  Working  Groups,  and  may  not  be
regarded as stating an official position of the Commission. The complete text of the reports of the five
Working Groups is available on http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/services/tourism/index.htm.

22

                                                
These  recommendations  led  to  the  following  three  priority  measures,  which  should  be
carried out in the short/medium term:

– 

– 

– 

to  improve  and  increase  the  accessibility  of  information  and  its  dissemination,
particularly  for  SMEs,  through  a  combination  of  new  technologies  and  traditional
tools;

to  facilitate  and  support  the  creation  of  partnerships  between  the  various  parties  in
the destinations/regions for the exchange of information and good practice;

to support and promote the use of tourism satellite accounts (TSAs).

Working Group B - To improve training in order to upgrade skills in the tourism

industry

The  main  training  needs  show  that  tourism  is  still  characterised  by  a  workforce  with  a
relatively  low  level  of  skills  for  the  majority  of  jobs  in  the  basic  sub-sectors,  particularly
regarding  SMEs.  On  the  other  hand,  there  exists  a  new  demand  for  additional  skills,  for
example in ICTs. The principle obstacles encountered in upgrading skills are: lack of labour
force and high level of staff turnover; the low image and particular working conditions of the
tourism  industry  as  a  place  to  work,  including  seasonality;  lack  of  basic  qualifications  that
could be upgraded; reduced competitiveness in small enterprises owing to the lack of training
in new skills. The main stakeholders in the larger businesses have taken steps to ensure they
have a qualified staff.

Strategies  and  measures  designed  to  upgrade  skills  in  the  tourism  industry  show  a  trend
towards  more  holistic  solutions  based  on  partnerships  and  dialogue  between  training
institutions,  the  tourism  industry  and  other  major  stakeholders,  such  as  public  authorities.
They  go  beyond  training,  clearly  combining  teaching  and  practical  experience.  The  direct
correlation between learning, employment and labour environment makes it necessary to take
into account the economic and social dimensions when trying to upgrade skills. This can be
developed  towards  a  common  philosophy  on  learning,  the  approach  of  so-called  Learning
Areas,  which  involve  all  tourism  and  training  stakeholders  in  the  learning  and  innovation
process through active practical co-operation and networking.

The existing contribution and potential of Community policies and programmes mainly relate
to  training  and  education  (LEONARDO  DA  VINCI,  SOCRATES,  TEMPUS),  employment
(EQUAL), and educational organisation networking (ALFA). The Structural Funds could be
better used to implement innovative solutions.

23

The conclusions of  the Working Group were formulated  with regard to  three  priority  areas:
attracting  skilled  labour  to  the  sector;  retaining  and  developing  skilled  labour  in  the  sector;
and  supporting  micro-enterprises  at  regional  and  local  level  to  improve  competitiveness.
Apart  from  the  recommendation  to  promote  the  introduction  of  the  EUROPASS  Training
document  for  tourism 24,  two  measures  were  developed  in  greater  detail,  with  a  view  to
implementation:

– 

– 

A Permanent Observatory on learning, employment and the labour environment in
the  tourism  sector:  gathering,  monitoring,  generating  and  providing  updated
information  and  fostering  debate  on  related  key  issues  in  order  to  improve
knowledge  (qualitative  and  quantitative),  with  the  main  objective  of  providing
strategic information to ensure sustainable competitiveness in tourism;

A  “Handbook  for  learning  areas  in  the  tourism  industry”:  a  practical  guide  for
action to transform learning into innovation, taking into account the “fragile” reality
regarding human  resources (economic and social dimension), considering a method
(mixture of strategic information, learning and advice/guidance) of learning which is
more  complex 
training,  and  using  bottom-up/top-down
approaches,  partnerships  and  co-operation  between  all  the  stakeholders  concerned.

than  conventional 

Working Group C - To improve the quality of tourism products

The Working Group agreed on a definition of quality in tourism in line with that of the World
Tourism Organisation, emphasising that quality is the perception by the tourist of the extent to
which his expectations are met by his experience of the product. Quality is not to be equated
to luxury, and must not be exclusive, but must be available to all tourists, including those with
special needs. The tourist product should be seen as the destination and the process resulting
in the tourist’s overall experience. The key stakeholders are organisations fulfilling the roles
of:  policy  makers,  destination  management  and  quality  control;  suppliers  of  tourist  sub-
products; commercial intermediaries; training suppliers; the guests, and the host population.

An  in-depth  analysis  of  the  quality  policies  and  methodologies  adopted  within  the  different
Member  States  identified  among  the  relevant  strategies  and  measures:  ISO 9000  and  14000
series;  the  EFQM  methodology;  star  classification  systems;  various  country  specific  quality
systems.

The  assessment  of  the  contribution  of  relevant  Community  policies  and  programmes  to
quality  in  tourism  revealed  the  following  policy  areas  as  particularly  relevant  to  quality
development: structural  policies; consumer protection; environmental policies;  transport  and
enterprise  policies.  Of  these,  the  Structural  Funds  offered  the  most  potential  to  directly
influence quality improvement in tourism.

24

The implementation of the Commission initiative on adopting a EUROPASS-Training document (Council
Decision 99/51/EC of 21 December 1998, OJ L 17 of 22.1.1999, p. 45) has already been mentioned in
the  Communication  on  Enhancing  tourism's  potential  for  employment,  as  a  tool  which  can  promote
mobility  through  work-linked  training,  including  apprenticeships,  and  allow  greater  transparency  and
visibility in the qualifications and experience acquired during work-linked training abroad.

24

                                                
The  Working  Group  identified  four  priority  areas  requiring  specific  efforts  in  the  European
Community context, with the following conclusions and recommendations:

– 

– 

– 

– 

Indicators  for  the  measurement  of  the  quality  improvement  process:  Quality
improvement  is  a  cyclical  and  continuing  process,  and  as  such  must  be  able  to  be
measured and evaluated. The group drew up a framework together with a draft list of
possible  indicators  for  use  by  different  managers.  This  could  be  considered  during
the development of support tools.

Benchmarking  at  the  European  level:  Benchmarking  of  destinations  will  help  to
ensure  quality  improvement  and  could  benefit  from  common  quality  indicators.  It
should  be  a  voluntary  exercise,  led  by  the  destinations,  supported  by  information-
exchange procedures based on networking.

Non-financial  support  for  tourism  SMEs  implementing  quality  systems:  e.g.
consultancy, business advice, fora, etc. should be improved to encourage adoption of
a  quality  approach,  this  in  preference  to  direct  financial  aid,  which  risks  distorting
local competition.

More  intensive  use  of  the  Structural  Funds  to  improve  the  quality  of  tourist
products:  The  Structural  Funds  should  concentrate  resources  on  creating  the
framework  for  tourism  business  development,  rather  than  supporting  individual
enterprises  or  destinations,  (e.g.  through  training,  infrastructure  improvement,  non-
financial  business  support).  Tourism  authorities  in  all  Member  States  should  be
integrated  into  the  implementation  of  the  programmes.  There  is  a  need  for  better
dissemination  of  information  on  the  operation  of  Structural  Fund  programmes
throughout the tourism industry.

Working Group D - To promote environmental protection and sustainable

development in tourism

Bearing  in  mind  the  economic,  social  and  environmental  considerations,  Working  Group  D
drew up the following definition of sustainable tourism, based on that of the World Tourism
Organisation: "Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host
regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading
to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can
be  fulfilled  while  maintaining  cultural  integrity,  essential  ecological  processes,  biological
diversity and life support systems."

The  active  participation  of  all  the  stakeholders,  in  their  respective  fields,  in  the
implementation  of  sustainable  tourism  is  essential.  This  applies  particularly  to  destination
managers,  travel  agents  and  tourists  themselves.  The  experts  have  identified  strategies  and
measures to promote the sustainable development of tourism, such as Agenda 21 for the
Mediterranean  and  the  Baltic  Sea,  Destination  21  in  Denmark  and  the  local  Agenda 21  of
Calvià (Balearic Islands, Spain).

More  and  more  measures  regarding  sustainability  are  being  adopted  under  the  various
Community policies  and  programmes. They  include,  for  instance,  the  European  strategy  for
sustainable  development,  the  Sixth  Environmental  Action  Plan,  the  Cardiff  integration
process  and  other  sectoral  strategies,  such  as  those  for  energy  and  transport.  Although  its
crucial  importance  has  been  recognised,  particularly  the  contribution  it  can  make  to  a

25

common  sustainable  development  strategy,  the  principle  of  obligatorily  including  the
environment in every sectoral policy is not yet applied in the tourism industry.

The  Working  Group  drew  up  its  conclusions  and  recommendations  on  the  basis  of
Agenda 21 for tourism in Europe. In this context the strategic guidelines for the sustainable
development of transport related to tourism are of particular importance. The Working Group
drew  up a methodological approach for Agenda 21 for  EU  tourism,  The  purpose  is  to  draw
the attention of all parties to the need for common commitment to the implementation of such
an approach, which, however, will remain non-binding.

The objectives are: to prevent and reduce the territorial and environmental impact of tourism
in destinations; to control the growth of transport linked to tourism; to promote responsible
tourism  as  a  factor  for  social  and  cultural  development.  The  co-ordination  and  partnership
measures at all levels, the sharing of information and a voluntary approach, together with the
setting up of measures to increase the competitiveness of European businesses are viewed as
essential  prerequisites.  The  experts  see  the  Commission  as  having  an  important  role  in
implementation. The instruments proposed are:

– 

– 

political co-operation and a body based on partnership, built around a consensual
approach in order to identify and define the priority targets to achieve the principles
regarding sustainable tourism;

a technical body ("tourism observatory") providing know-how and expertise. It will
carry out regular monitoring and produce reports based on reliable indicators.

Working Group E - Controlling the impact and use of services based on Information

and Communication Technologies in the tourism sector

In  order  to  identify  the  services  based  on  Information  and  Communication  Technologies
(ICT)  with  a  major  relevance  for  public  and  private  stakeholders  in  tourism,  the  Working
Group agreed on the following common definition: “ICT based services” refers to the use of
digital  electronic  methods  and  tools  to  gather,  process,  share  and  distribute  information
throughout  the  tourism  value  chain.  Digital  electronic  methods  and  tools  can  be  software
applications and components, data, formal specifications, standards or devices supporting a
specific set of tourism related business processes”.

Three categories of service were identified as having a major impact on the tourism sector:
development  of  networking  facilities,  interoperability  and  systems  integration,  and  finally  a
new set of applications for enterprise management and electronic commerce. The assessment
of the awareness, accessibility and use of these services by the different tourism stakeholders
has shown that tourism stakeholders are using ICT differently, based on main factors, such as
their  core  competence,  their  size  and  their  relative  position  in  the  tourism  value  chain.  The
level  of  awareness  and  access  also  differs  by  type  of  stakeholder  (traditional  distribution
channels,  accommodation  services,  consumers,  destination  management  organisations,
tourism administration and transport).

Strategies and supporting measures at European, national or regional level do exist. Access to
the relevant information, in particular for SMEs, was perceived as the main bottleneck for
the tourism stakeholders to benefit from them (e.g. IST programme, measures under regional
policy,  action  under  e-Europe,  such  as  Go  digital).  Three  types  of  gap  with  regard  to
strategies and measures have been specified. The first group refers to the need to accelerate

26

the legal and fiscal harmonisation at European level, in collaboration with the other relevant
stakeholders,  as  a  means  towards  a  stable  legal  framework  world-wide.  The  second  group
refers  to  the  insufficient  priority  given  to  the  development  of  content  and  the  inadequate
access  to  information,  at  all  levels.  The  third  group  refers  to  the  need  for  innovative
approaches  and  solutions  for  SMEs  to  fully  integrate  them  into  the  world  of  ICT  based
technologies.

The following recommendations for actions have been drawn up:

– 

– 

– 

Establish a European knowledge network, based on existing European, national and
regional  centres.  They  will  act  as  review/knowledge  centres,  close  enough  to  the
different  tourism  stakeholders  to  facilitate  the  access  to  and  collection  of  tourism
information.

Set up two special interest Working Groups. The first one, on “mobile e-Commerce
services  for  tourism”,  should  evaluate  the  need  for  new  innovative  mobile  services
and propose measures for their development and use. The second one on “assessing
existing  legislation  and  tax  regulations”  with  regard  to  its  application  in  a  digital
tourism environment.

Establish a Support Centre to enhance market integration for SMEs and destinations
through Destination Management Systems and services for SMEs.

27