Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Basic orientations for the sustainability of European tourism
Date: 2004-04-21
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: sustainable development, tourism, tourism policy

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II

(Preparatory Acts)

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

54TH PLENARY SESSION, 21 AND 22 APRIL 2004

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission to the
the European Economic and Social Committee and the
Council,

the European Parliament,

Committee of the Regions — Basic orientations for the sustainability of European tourism’

(2004/C 121/01)

The Committee of the Regions,

Having regard to the ‘Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Basic orientations for the
sustainability of European tourism’ — (COM(2003) 716 final);

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 21 November 2003 to consult it on this
subject under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Communities;

Having regard to the decision of its President of 27 January 2004 to instruct its Commission for Territorial
Cohesion Policy to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to its opinion on Working together for the future of European tourism (CdR 99/2002
fin) (1);

Having regard to the conclusions of the Euromeeting 2003 on sustainable tourism conference, held jointly
by the Tuscany region and its COTER Commission;

Having regard to the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) and its opinion on the subject
(CdR 266/98 fin) (2);

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 397/2003 rev. 1) adopted on 18 February 2004 by its Commission
for Territorial Cohesion Policy (rapporteur: Mr Adan Martin Menis, President of the Canary Islands
Regional Government (ES/ELDR));

Whereas:

1)

2)

3)

tourism is one of the most important and rapidly expanding sectors of the world economy and that
of the EU;

tourism can contribute significantly to achieving the objectives of maintaining high and stable levels
of economic growth and employment, social progress which recognises the needs of everyone, effec-
tive protection of the environment and the prudent use of natural resources;

the natural, economic, social and cultural resources that define the economic sustainability of the
sector will not withstand an indefinite expansion of European tourism;

(1) OJ C 66 of 19.3.2003, p. 14.
(2) OJ C 93 of 6.4.1999, p. 36.

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4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

the implementation plan adopted at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development
claims to be based on the development of sustainable tourism and outlines measures to change
unsustainable consumption and production patterns;

tourism is a global phenomenon that is shaped locally. Sustainability issues range from global ones
that need to be solved globally, to local ones requiring action on the ground. Tourism, however, is a
primarily local and regional sector. Tourism-related measures must therefore be designed and imple-
mented above all at local level, in order to address the specific needs and limitations that exist;

Article 2 of the Treaty establishing the European Community identifies the promotion of the
sustainable development of economic activities as one the Community's tasks. Tourism has great
potential for contributing to the achievement of sustainable development objectives, and Article 3(u)
of the Treaty provides for Community action in the field of tourism in order to meet the objectives
set out in Article 2. The sustainability of tourism must be in line with the general guidelines on
sustainable development in the EU, as defined in the European Sustainable Development Strategy
(SDS);

since the mid-1990s, the sustainable development of tourism has been a priority for the EU Institu-
tions. In its Communication on Working together for the future of European tourism, of November
2001, the Commission proposed further promoting the ‘sustainable development of tourism activ-
ities in Europe by defining and implementing an Agenda 21’;

this objective received strong support from the European Parliament, the Council, the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions;

adopted the following opinion at its 54th plenary session held on 21 and 22 April 2004 (meeting of 21
April).

The Committee of the Regions:

acknowledges that it is difficult to summarise in a document of
this kind the priorities and strategies of sustainable European
tourism, which are as complex as Europe's regional make-up,
as varied as the range of products on offer, as numerous as the
range of consumer demands and as diverse as the different
administrative and business practices employed to shape tourist
destinations;

it may
welcomes the Commission Communication, even if
disagree with some of the points made in it, as it is the first
time that the European Union has adopted an overall stand-
point on the challenges of sustainable tourism;

considers that, although there are other equally useful stand-
points on sustainability, such as the European Spatial Develop-
ment Perspective (ESDP), the main value of this Communica-
tion resides in the fact that it outlines actions that need to be
taken, in particular by regions and destinations, if sustainable
tourism is to move from theory to practice;

points out that the Commission is offering local and regional
authorities new opportunities
to base sustainable tourism
policy on the three pillars of sustainability, and that working
together and good governance are key methodologies which
will promote progress in the industry and remedy the lack of
consistency between the many existing practices;

welcomes the fact that the Communication also recommends
steps to be taken by European citizens and tourists, private
international organisa-
sector enterprises, the social partners,

local,

tions,
society groups;

regional and national governments, and civil

1. Challenges and objectives of sustainable tourism

Main challenge: sustainable activity and growth

1.1
considers that it is not only particular geographical areas
such as the Mediterranean and the Alps that face additional
specific challenges in the area of sustainable tourism but also
other areas such as island destinations, the outermost regions
and developing countries;

1.2
welcomes the fact that the Commission considers the
sustainable management of mass tourism as a particular chal-
lenge which ‘promises to be the biggest contribution to the
sustainability of tourism’;

such mass tourism can exact a heavy price in environ-
1.3
mental, social and landscape terms in many destinations.
Nevertheless, from the European perspective, the impact on
sustainability is mitigated by the beneficial social effects for the
citizens of both the countries they come from and the coun-
tries they visit;

1.4 many of these destinations are now turning away from
quantitative physical growth and opting for qualitative growth
by upgrading their infrastructure and products and by ongoing
renovation, at the same time setting limits on growth and
framing new strategies for planning and managing sustainable
tourism;

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1.5
considers that this new objective of subjecting tourist
development to sustainability criteria - which also promotes
sustainable patterns of consumption and products in contrast
to tourist development which caters to the satisfaction of
immediate and short-term interests – faces numerous political,
economic and legal difficulties which, in many instances, fall
outside its remit;

1.6
also considers that these difficulties may be exacerbated
in those destinations where tourism is the main source of
wealth and economic activity;

believes that these difficulties could be even greater in
1.7
the case of fragile and remote islands, upland areas and terri-
tories where the effects of non-sustainability are exacerbated by
isolation;

considers that the response of local and regional autho-
1.8
rities to challenges of this magnitude should receive maximum
cooperation and support from national governments and the
European institutions which should be ready to use the most
suitable legal, economic and political measures to prevent
sustainable tourism initiatives undertaken by regions and local-
ities from failing;

it

believes that

is particularly important

to suitably
1.9
the
adjust Community rules on State aid to encourage (i)
limited and
ongoing renovation of
sustainable growth and (iii)
the development of sustainable
tourism in areas suffering a permanent natural and geographic
disadvantage where tourist activity could be detrimental
to
fragile and highly valuable natural resources.

tourist destinations,

(ii)

products in Europe which must therefore design and manage
their patterns with this variable in mind;

believes that any political action on seasonal spread at
1.16
European Union level must be very cautious so as not to cause
distortions in the market that could affect destinations and
products which have a competitive advantage when it is the
low season in other destinations;

believes that the issue of transport must be analysed
1.17
from various angles,
including efficiency in the area of
consumption and emissions, redistribution of wealth and other
related benefits, and the sustainability commitments that Euro-
pean destinations and regions will have to make to this end,
based on documents and protocols, such as that of the Alpine
Convention and others that have made progress in this area;

believes, however, that any analysis from the point of
1.18
view of consumption must consider other relevant variables to
avoid partial and contradictory diagnoses;

1.19
adopted that:

considers that a more holistic approach should be

— encourages more money to be spent on sustainable

tourism;

— gives tourists interested in sustainability more decision-

making power and choice;

— protects the rights of tourists interested in sustainability;

— promotes tourism as a uniting force in Europe;

A balanced approach to the three pillars of sustainability

— recognises tourism's ability to redistribute wealth;

1.10
welcomes the Communication's explicit recognition of
the importance of all parties working together and good
governance;

believes that

tourism authorities
local and regional
1.11
must emerge from this process strengthened and equipped to
coordinate their work with other authorities and bodies at all
levels, establishing the necessary synergies and using good
governance practices to achieve the desired objectives;

1.12
believes it is also necessary for all local and regional
sectoral authorities and policies that have a clear influence on
the shape of sustainable tourism to be offered new opportu-
nities and incentives so that they can contribute, for example,
towards good governance and the planning and management
of sustainable tourism models;

believes that the tourism industry as a whole and all
1.13
in
other relevant players must be involved from the start
shaping a new tourism policy based on sustainable destina-
tions;

Sustainable consumption patterns

1.14
considers that the Commission has every reason to
identify seasonal spread and transport as two of the main
problems facing a sustainable pattern of tourist consumption;

1.15
problem,

believes

that while seasonal

spread is a regional
it is one shared by many tourist destinations and

— promotes tourism as a catalyst for peace.

Such an approach would allow for more comprehensive assess-
ments of sustainability from the point of view of
tourist
consumption patterns;

the understanding of

1.20
does not believe that few tourists are interested in
sustainability. On the contrary, essentially European tourists are
interested in sustainability and demand sustainable products,
the meaning of sustainable
even if
products varies greatly from one tourist to the next; the chal-
lenge for destinations and companies, then, is to offer sustain-
able tourist products. Destinations must be enabled to develop
their
sustainable tourist products, promote,
sustainability-related qualities and commitments, and offer
tourists interested in sustainability more choice;

in particular,

1.21
believes that a proper link must be established between
sustainability and competitiveness. This link, though until now
fragile and contradictory, is the best chance of moving towards
sustainability through dialogue and at the same time gaining
more allies and partners in this cause;

Sustainable production patterns

1.22
its paragraph on sustainable destination development;

congratulates the Commission on the ideas set out in

1.23
tions of the entire Communication;

considers this to be one of the most relevant contribu-

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1.24

welcomes the references to the following:

Slow progress

— destination as the overall tourism product;

— the importance of activities that combine public and private

interests in achieving sustainable production;

— fragile and over dependent 'mono-economies' without the

desired indirect effects;

— a level playing field for local providers and the reinvestment

of profits back into destinations.

These factors justify actions and policies designed to shape
regional tourism patterns on the basis of market potential and
the sustainability needs of destinations and regions;

1.25

welcomes the references to the following:

— the traditional cultural landscape;

2.2
agrees that there is a lack of progress on sustainable
tourism, demonstrating the need for basic orientations to be
drawn up in order to re-direct trends towards sustainability
objectives;

is pleased that the Commission advocates a bottom-up
2.3
European tourism policy that is firmly grounded in the subsi-
diarity principle
for
and makes destinations
improving their level of sustainable development;

responsible

agrees with the Commission that SMEs and destinations

2.4
play a key role in the success of sustainability initiatives.

3. Facing the challenges: The policy options

agrees with the Commission that actions should focus

3.1
on the following areas:

— heritage-related resources,

infrastructures, hospitality and

facilities as basic resources of tourist destinations;

— effective implementation of existing initiatives;

— wise land-use;

— local cultural identity and local residents' needs.

It also welcomes the reference to the need for local and
regional tourism policies to be linked to other sectoral policies,
through good governance;

welcomes the reference to the need to respect

1.26
the
carrying capacity of natural and cultural areas, and the impor-
tance of analysing carrying capacity in a general context of
designing sustainable tourism patterns at local and regional
level;

1.27
welcomes the references to secondary or third-age resi-
dence and one-day visits, as they demonstrate the importance
of properly
and
studying their positive and negative effects before policies and
legislation are drawn up.

tourism-related phenomena

identifying

2. Where we stand

Many initiatives

industries and authorities,

considers that one of the most interesting conclusions of
2.1
the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) is its call
for sectoral
including the tourism
sector, to take on board their responsibilities in the area of
territorial planning. This is one of several documents that call
for specific sectors, including the tourism sector, to be involved
in territorial planning and encouraged to share their knowledge
and methodology from the start. This will strengthen the deci-
sion-making power of
interested in sustainability,
improve the positioning of the most sustainable products and
respond to ongoing efforts to focus regional policies on local
residents' sustainability concerns at economic, social and envir-
onmental level;

tourists

— Community activities designed to optimise the effect of

Community policies and measures;

— Community
measures.

activities

based

on

defining

additional

However, the Committee would have liked these concepts to
have been developed further.

4. Implementing tourism sustainability: Basic orientations

for a European Community approach

The general concept of future action

4.1
agrees with the Commission's assessment
holders must be included at all levels, from local to global;

that stake-

4.2
issues
is concerned by the Commission's view that
linked to seasonal concentration and travel for the purpose of
sustainable tourism need to be addressed higher up than the
local and regional level;

4.3
believes that stimulating certain tourist demands at a
higher level could jeopardise the interests of non-beneficiary
destinations, not to mention non-EU destinations, resulting in a
distortion of the market;

4.4
believes that the Commission is right when it says that
political, business and social stakeholders must not only take
the necessary action to make sustainable tourism a reality, but
also formulate their own Agenda 21 at sectoral level. In other
words, and where regional policy is concerned, re-defining
local and regional tourism policy on the basis of sustainability
criteria - the justification, objectives and methodology of which
are outlined in the Communication - is an excellent opportu-
nity to free up Agenda 21 processes which are currently on the
administrative, political, business and social backburner
in
many European regions and tourist destinations;

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4.5
frame-
considers that, by creating local and regional
works for action in developing sustainable tourism, which link
in turn to national and European level frameworks, this will
open up new opportunities for regional authorities, especially
local and regional
tourism authorities, which will need to
improve their capacity in order to meet challenges; all regional
authorities and policies that have a clear impact on sustainable
tourism, e.g. in the area of the environment, spatial planning,
employment, agriculture, cultural heritage, training, etc., will
now have a new framework in which to formulate their actions
owing to their link with sustainable tourism;

agrees that information is a key issue for the sustainable
4.6
development of tourism. Tourism is characterised by a severe
lack of transparency and information. Industries and destina-
tions will only be able to properly adopt sustainability strategies
information relating to their activity.
if they are given vital
Much of this information can only be produced and collected
in destinations;

4.7
calls on the European institutions to establish and
support networks of destinations that are capable of producing
and exchanging information;

4.8
considers that some relevant tourist information cannot
be provided by destinations or networks of destinations. This is
where the European Commission comes in, playing a key role
that cannot be played by the regions or Member States;

What the Commission intends to do

4.9
welcomes the impact assessments undertaken by the
in particular on tourism, as they are excellent
Commission,
examples that will encourage good governance in European
regions and tourist destinations;

supports the Commission's objective of preparing and
4.10
implementing an internal work programme to enhance the
effect of the various Community policies;

believes that sustainable tourism indicators are more
4.11
than an objective in themselves, i.e. to measure the sustainable
development of tourism; they also play an important role as a
catalyst for sustainability processes. It is therefore essential that
the interested parties (e.g.
industry, authorities, civil society,
etc.) are involved in defining indicators from the start and that
they are kept simple and user-friendly, so that everyone can
understand them and continue contributing towards them;

considers that measuring sustainability is a way of
4.12
improving it, as it encourages stakeholders to understand the
impact of tourism, alternatives to be discovered and the neces-
sary social capital to be developed;

4.13
tourism with the World Tourism Organisation (WTO);

supports a cooperation agreement on sustainable

4.15
believes that, given that the CoR is the EU body that
represents local and regional authorities in Europe, it should
appoint
the members representing these authorities in the
Group in cooperation with the pan-European associations of
local and regional government;

4.16
suggests that, for the group to be operative, representa-
tives should be chosen on the basis of regional groupings and
should reflect all types of tourist destination;

4.17
calls on Eurostat to support the work of the Tourism
Sustainability Group so that sustainable tourism indicators can
be defined at European level and promoted at
local and
regional level. This may be a crucial qualitative leap towards
developing sustainable tourism;

agrees with the Commission that seasonal spread and
4.18
transport are two key issues affecting sustainable consumer
choices and that a group of experts needs to meet on a regular
it reiterates that their discussions must take
basis. However,
account of global analyses and other relevant variables,
to
avoid partial and contradictory diagnoses;

potential

preparing

believes that, at all events, extreme caution should be
4.19
exercised when
awareness-raising
campaigns, particularly those aimed at consumers, ensuring
such campaigns are sufficiently general so as not to cause
tension between different destinations and products. At the
same time, adequate resources should be provided to help local
and regional authorities in different tourist destinations to take
on board the guidelines set out in the Commission's Communi-
cation and to help implement them;

that

considers, on the other hand,
they have a right

4.20
tourists should
to sustainable tourist
indeed know that
products, as laid down in the Charter of the Rights and Duties
of Tourists, and therefore believes it is a good idea to help the
industry and destinations to bring their products into line with
the sustainable patterns demanded by European and interna-
tional visitors;

4.21
agrees with the Commission that Corporate Social
Responsibility is a positive initiative that will encourage the
development and adoption of good practice in sustainable
production;

4.22
congratulates the Commission for proposing activities
designed to promote initiatives in tourist destinations in the
following areas:

— wide-spread use of
tourist destinations;

the Local Agenda 21 in European

— development of
carrying capacity;

locally adaptable techniques to manage

— exchange of information between tourist destinations;

— bottom-up approach;

4.14
Sustainability Group composed of representatives of
regional and national authorities,
tourism companies,
unions and civil society;

welcomes the Commission's plan to set up a Tourism
local,
trade

— development and dissemination of good practice;

— use of information and communication technologies.

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4.23
trusts that the Commission has the necessary resources
to do this and hopes that it will take measures to include these
objectives in existing areas of Community aid, or at least those
considered appropriate, e.g. by stepping up the INTERREG 3
initiative, which could provide financial support in particular
for networks of tourist destinations, or for other initiatives that
are considered appropriate;

highlights the importance of holding tourism meetings
4.24
with local and regional authorities, their representative associa-
tions and relevant stakeholders in order to inform regions,
industry and civil society about the objectives, methodologies
and progress of the basic orientations for sustainable European
tourism;

4.25
believes that actions to be taken by the Commission to
help reinforce the capacity of destinations, while taking
account of the spatial and land use dimension of tourism, must
include competitiveness. The focus would then be three-fold:
competitiveness, quality and sustainability;

What other stakeholders can do

E u r op e a n c i t i z e n s a n d tou r i s t s

4.26
considers that European tourists must be properly
informed about the Charter of the Rights and Duties of Tour-
ists;

4.27
calls on destinations to defend the rights and interests
of tourists interested in sustainability and to set up systems to
assess their views;

4.28
ticular, their sustainability-related qualities and commitments;

recommends that destinations should promote, in par-

4.29
proposes that the above paragraphs should be expli-
citly included in methodologies for implementing Agenda 21
processes and in plans for the sustainable development of
tourism;

E u r op e a n tou r i st de st i na ti ons a nd p u b li c a u th o r i ti e s

4.33
congratulates the Commission on it;

fully endorses this part of the Communication and

tourism authorities

considers this to be an excellent opportunity for local
4.34
and regional
to become trained and
involved in sustainable tourism development and to establish
synergies and work together with other authorities, while
in order to
respecting each region's organisational structure,
achieve the desired objectives;

4.35
also believes that all the relevant local and regional
authorities are being offered a clear opportunity to incorporate
the sustainable tourism dimension into their actions and objec-
tives;

welcomes

the Commission's reference to tripartite
4.36
agreements as an instrument
for cooperation between the
different authorities. In fact, tourism is one of the areas in
which such tripartite agreements can be applied;

4.37
considers that the Commission must analyse efficiency
in order to ensure that efforts to improve its existing frame-
work of action on the sustainability of European tourism are
not dissipated on actions unconnected at destination level,
while preserving the diversity of its proposed objectives;

Int e r na ti o na l or g a n i sa ti o ns
me nts

a nd na ti on a l g ov e r n-

4.38

fully endorses this part of the Communication;

Ci vi l soci e ty g r ou p s

fully endorses this point, but points out that training is
4.39
required if these groups and the tertiary sector as a whole are
to be involved,
i.e. they are really able to participate in the
process, a prerequisite for which is full, detailed and accessible
information. To this end, specific actions will therefore be
needed;

P r i v a t e se ct o r e n t e r p r i se s a n d so c i a l p a r t n e r s

5. Conclusions

4.30

fully endorses this part of the Communication;

4.31
considers that there is a need to strengthen SMEs,
training their managers and employees, stepping up their invol-
vement
in decision-making processes and improving their
access to quality systems;

4.32
into the Community action framework;

proposes

specifically incorporating these objectives

Brussels, 21 April 2004

5.1
welcomes the Commission's intention to report back to
the Council and other Community institutions on the progress
of
implementation and prepare for the application of an
Agenda 21 for European tourism, but nevertheless considers
that the detailed preparation of this Agenda 21 for European
tourism should be completed by 2005 at the latest;

requests that the CoR be among the Community bodies

5.2
informed.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB