Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Tourism policy and public-private cooperation’
Date: 2004-09-15
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: inter-company cooperation, private sector, public sector, tourism, tourism policy

23.3.2005

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Tourism policy and public-private
cooperation’

(2005/C 74/02)

On 29 January 2004, the European Economic and Social Committee, acting under the second paragraph
of Rule 29 of its Rules of Procedure, decided to draw up an opinion on ‘Tourism policy and public-private
cooperation’.

The Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 14 July 2004. The rapporteur was Mr Mendoza.

its 411th plenary session (meeting of 15 September 2004),

At
Committee adopted the following opinion by 148 votes to one with three abstentions.

the European Economic and Social

1. Introduction

1.1
In line with its commitment to the tourism sector in
Europe, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted
an opinion on Socially sustainable tourism for everyone at
its
plenary session on 29 October 2003.

1.1.1
That opinion was subsequently presented at the Euro-
pean Tourism Forum 2003 as a contribution to improving
tourism in general and accessible tourism in particular, in the
context of the European Year of People with Disabilities.

1.2
The opinion set out a general framework of analysis,
principles and proposals for defining the future of the tourism
sector in its multiple and diverse forms. Ten specific aspects
were identified, for each of which ten initiatives were proposed,
giving a grand total of 100 concrete initiatives which individu-
ally and as a whole are intended to create sustainable and
accessible tourism for the 21st century.

1.3 While keeping these objectives as a point of reference,
the EESC proposes in this opinion on Tourism policy and public-
private cooperation to identify those activities and measures
needed to make the objectives feasible and to realise them in
practice. The opinion also considers individuals, sectors, organi-
sations, bodies and institutions that are responsible for imple-
menting these measures, both in terms of their own specific
responsibilities and tasks, and in cooperation with other
players.

The aim of

1.4
this opinion is to analyse and propose
methods of cooperation between the public and private sectors,
especially between public authorities and private companies
and their business organisations, while also addressing issues
relevant to other players in the tourism sector: workers and
trade unions, consumer organisations, etc. Ultimately, the goal
is to make all players accountable within their own remit and
at the same time to find mechanisms and instruments that can
be used to coordinate activities with those of others involved in
tourism management and policy,
in order to improve the
competitiveness and sustainability of the sector.

It should be pointed out that even if the importance of
1.5
tourism and the rate at which it is developing varies consider-
ably across Europe, public-private cooperation has everywhere
proved to be a good way of improving the quality, sustain-
ability and competitiveness of tourism.

1.6
The public hearing held in Seville (Spain) on 15 April
2004 clearly demonstrated that there are many positive exam-
ples of successful public-private cooperation and that we must
continue along this route if further improvements are to be
made to the quality, sustainability and competitiveness of the
tourism sector. These objectives must be given even greater
priority in an enlarged Europe, where tourism will clearly play
a key role.

2. Definition of stakeholders and sectors in the tourism

industry: public and private sectors

It is not the purpose of this opinion to provide an exact
2.1
definition of the public and private sectors, but by way of illus-
tration and in order to focus the analysis, the Committee feels
that it should provide a basic outline of both, so as to explain
their position with regard to cooperation in the tourism sector.

2.2
The public sector is made up of the different tiers of
administration – local, regional, national and international – as
well as bodies and institutions that are mostly dependent on
the former and are funded either by taxes or charges. This
therefore covers a wide range of institutions, e.g. educational
and promotional organisations, including some in the form of
private companies or joint ventures, but with clearly defined
remits. Their role in society is strictly regulated and the focus is
ultimately on promoting the public good. A reference should
be included here to the experience of public entities operating
in the market, such as the Paradores in Spain and the Pousadas
in Portugal (government-run hotels in rural beauty spots or
historic sites). In general terms, the public sector provides a
number of basic services with the aid of which companies
must develop their business.

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2.2.1
Of particular note are organisations responsible for
tourism promotion and information, as this is an area where
cooperation is essential
in defining objectives and joint
measures.

2.3.4 While they are not strictly speaking the subject of this
opinion, it should be pointed out that there are other feasible
and desirable types of cooperation between the various levels
of public authority on the one hand and different types of
company on the other. Such cooperation could take vertical or
horizontal form.

2.2.2 Where the public sector is concerned,
the various
forms of public-private cooperation can attract new types of
funding for many activities,
in particular those relating to
promotion, building infrastructure, improving quality, etc.

3. Current situation

2.3
The private sector meanwhile is made up not only of
businesses – in their many forms as companies, cooperatives or
individuals – but also, and very importantly, of the social part-
ners, trade unions and associations of businesses and citizens,
as consumers and parties with a direct stake in the welfare of
society. Their interests and objectives are basically personal and
individual, but they also have social goals, insofar as their activ-
ities directly or indirectly affect society as a whole and they are
thus accountable to society, both for their actions and for their
omissions.

2.3.1
It is worth emphasising that this wide range of busi-
nesses can also be classified by size: large companies, micro-busi-
nesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Size
seems to be relevant when the scope of cooperation is being
defined, and it tends to be SMEs that are more interested in
cooperation, perhaps because they are more dependent and
in achieving their objectives.
therefore need more support
Another relevant factor may be the scope of their activities,
given that local or regional businesses are more inclined to
cooperate than large multinationals, which tend to be more
rigid owing to their centralised structure and the uniformity of
their management systems, and which have more diverse inter-
ests spread over different tourist locations and destinations.

can be

Economic

and social players

classified
2.3.2
according to the social groups they represent,
i.e. employers
and workers. It is clear that their associations are extremely
important when it comes to setting up public-private partner-
ships, since while they defend basically individual
interests,
their collective interests are very close to those of the public
sector and therefore easier to coordinate. The professionalism
of their representatives can be and indeed usually is a key
factor in ensuring the successful setting-up of a partnership.

The current range of possible relations between the
3.1
public and private sectors comprises four broad alternative
scenarios which are unlikely to occur in their pure form, but
which indicate trends in practice.

3.1.1
Antagonism: This scenario is one of confrontational
relations between public and private sectors, with each seeing
the other, or thinking they see it, as opposing or obstructing its
objectives and interests. The private sector often sees the public
sector as thwarting its goal of profitability by failing to provide
the infrastructure needed to develop its activities properly, and
because of the paucity or poor quality of public services for
tourists or the tourism industry. At other times, businesses see
public authorities purely as the tax collector, seizing more and
more from a sector that faces substantial price competition and
causing distortion of competition vis-à-vis other countries,
regions or areas with different tax regimes, and they call for
harmonisation of taxes such as VAT on tourism services. Ulti-
mately, they feel they have to fight back against a public sector
that reduces rather than promotes the sector's competitiveness.

3.1.1.1
In this situation of potentially antagonistic relations
between the public and private sectors, public authorities may
see the private tourism sector as creating problems and obsta-
cles and distorting its public objectives in relation to social
welfare, preservation and sustainability of natural resources,
social cohesion and the responsibility of businesses towards
local communities.

3.1.1.2
Through the media, society becomes more or less
aware of the tension and the internal or external confrontations
resulting from these relations, and a climate of conflict and
ongoing mutual recrimination is generated that helps neither
the private nor the public sector attain their objectives.

2.3.3
The social sector provides a wide range of private
organisations and associations of various types, which like the
economic and social players are concerned with protecting
individual and collective interests. These include consumer
associations, environmental groups and neighbourhood associa-
tions. They tend to be good partners in cooperative projects
developed in the tourism sector and are sometimes able to
mobilise the other stakeholders.

3.1.1.3
Obviously this situation is not ideal if tourism is to
develop in a way that is socially, economically and environ-
it is not
mentally sustainable and is to remain competitive;
satisfactory either from the standpoint of consumers and local
people, or from that of businesses trying to build on tourism
potential to create and distribute wealth.

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3.1.2
Co-existence: In this scenario, public and private enti-
ties tolerate each other, work independently to achieve their
respective objectives, respect each other's remits, fulfil their
legal and social obligations and respect the rights of other
players in the tourism industry. It is a scenario of mutual toler-
ance which, although preferable to the previous scenario,
is
clearly not enough to develop the sustainable tourism that the
Committee considers to be appropriate for the 21st century.
This is quite a common scenario in places where tourism is not
the main economic activity, but supplements income earned
from other sectors, or in towns and cities with diversified
economies in which tourism alone accounts for only a small
percentage of local economic activity.

3.1.3
Coordination: This scenario is characterised by some
coordination of policies, strategies and measures between the
different public and private players in the tourism sector, each
of which has its own objectives, but realises that coherence and
information exchange enhance the complementarity of their
respective objectives and thus also benefit society. The main
instruments of this scenario are information and communica-
tion, with respect to both policies and measures, between the
different players in the tourism sector. Communication can
take place through joint activities such as working groups,
forums,
information meetings, etc. This requires a greater
degree of public-private cooperation, and the Committee
believes that it promotes the objective of economic, social and
environmental sustainability in tourism.
It tends to exist in
typical tourism contexts or locations, where tourism develop-
ment is strong, with public and private players aware of the
importance of tourism for their communities.

3.1.4.2
One of the activities where this level of cooperation
can be seen most frequently is the joint creation of tourism
products by public and private sectors. There are examples of
highly successful products created on the basis of cooperation.

four

Looking at

the current context, all

scenarios
3.2
described exist in real life, sometimes in pure form, but more
often with combinations of features, producing a variety of
intermediate situations. This opinion proposes that cooperation
is a feasible and desirable objective for the European and global
tourism industry, since it improves the competitiveness and
sustainability of tourism. It is also necessary to recognise and
improve the good practice which, in Europe and all over the
world, is being achieved in tourism, sometimes at the instiga-
tion of the public sector and in many cases promoted and
created by the private sector.

3.3
Generally speaking it can be said that in the case of
those tourist destinations and activities where public-private
cooperation is the basis for improving quality, planning devel-
opment and responding to crisis situations, and in many
similar cases, the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of measures is
considerably enhanced, thus making the location or activity
more competitive.

On the other hand, where there is confrontation, lack
3.3.1
of coordination or simple ignorance, which can happen some-
just exacerbates
times consciously or unconsciously,
problems, delays
and
reduces
reduces cost-effectiveness.

this
competitiveness

solutions,

3.1.4
Cooperation: In this scenario, while each public or
private stakeholder has its own objectives, they adopt joint
objectives with respect to both practice as well as strategies and
even policies. This requires consistency of objectives and a very
sophisticated vision of tourism that is not easy to achieve,
requiring consistent application of economic, social and envir-
onmental sustainability criteria, both in the short term and in
the medium and long terms. The Committee sees this as the
most advanced scenario, towards which the new concept of
sustainable tourism must move if it is to survive as an industry
creating economic, social and environmental benefits.

Various instruments can be used to achieve this
3.1.4.1
joint ventures, tourist boards, foundations, joint
cooperation:
institutions, councils, partnerships, etc. But in each case the
pooling of experience, know-how and long-term investment
projects are key aspects of cooperation and optimising efforts.
It is important to note that this cooperation is most effective at
level, where public and private interests coincide most
local
concretely and directly. It is here that the right environment
can be created for tourism to drive local development, creating
high-quality and socially sustainable jobs.

3.3.2
Various studies have shown and confirmed that tour-
ists perceive the quality of services received during a trip or
holiday as being 50 % dependent on the services provided by
public bodies and 50 % dependent on the services provided by
the private
through their
employees. The way in which tourists perceive different quality
indicators and the impact of these on their overall perception
of the quality of a product is endorsed, for example, by various
studies carried out by the municipality of Calvià and others in
Spain as part of the Plans for Touristic Excellence.

sector, principally businesses,

3.4
It is encouraging to note the steady trend towards coop-
eration as opposed to confrontation, which was perhaps more
common in the early years of the tourism industry, during
periods of rapid growth where there were no restrictions on
development of the best locations on the coast or in the coun-
tryside. There were periods when the drive for short-term
profits eclipsed certain aspects of sustainability which even the
public sector was unable to take into account, incorporate into
its strategy and develop in cooperation with the private sector.

Social awareness of long-term factors and limitations,
3.4.1
especially with regard to protecting natural resources, has been
growing, and tourism practices are much more consistent with
social objectives than they were in the past.

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4. Objectives of public-private cooperation today

4.1
Generally speaking, it can be said that the basic aim of
cooperation must be to promote and incorporate the objectives
that are an intrinsic part of each party's remit, its strategies and
plans and which constitute its raison d'être in society now and
in the future. Each party must bring its own objectives – both
individual and collective – and ensure that they are integrated
with those of its partners.

Various types of objectives can be identified in relation to

4.2
tourism cooperation.

clear and important human relations component. Public-private
cooperation in this area is essential as it is in the interest of
both sectors to improve the training and professionalism of
employees.

Social. It is not possible to set objectives for public-
4.2.2
private cooperation without
the social
objectives that any human activity should entail. Specifically,
local development and job creation are fundamental objectives
in tourism and therefore for cooperation in the tourism sector.

taking into account

4.2.1
Sectoral. As has already been shown many times and
in various ways, the tourism industry is a sector of strategic
importance for achieving multiple objectives that are at the
very heart of the European Union, its policies and its will to
make Europe a better place now and for future generations.

4.2.2.1
The fact that tourism is an economic activity based
on personal services means that any new tourism activity will
create jobs, although high-quality and sustainable tourism is
only feasible with high-quality jobs.

takes place,

Because it has a direct

impact on the economy,
4.2.1.1
tourism
society and the environment where it
development can and must be a priority instrument
for
improving the quality of life of Europe's citizens. However, to
ensure that this potential
is realised in practice in the long
term, tourism must meet certain sustainability requirements
that all stakeholders – public and private bodies, businesses and
consumers – must respect. The basic objective of public-private
cooperation can and must be to ensure the long-term viability
and competitiveness of the tourism sector.

4.2.1.2
It should be noted in particular that public-private
cooperation has proved very effective in managing situations of
decline or even crises in tourism in mature destinations that
risk losing their wealth-generating potential. Joint action by all
stakeholders – which is essential -increases the efficacy and visi-
bility of the measures taken.

4.2.1.3 Moreover,
it is becoming apparent that in emer-
gency situations such as 9/11 in New York and the very recent
3/11 in Madrid it is necessary to call upon all public and
private operators and decision-makers to join forces in order to
mitigate the adverse impact on tourism of such tragedies.

4.2.1.4
One area in which alliances and public-private coop-
eration in the sectoral environment could prove effective is
transport, where the massive increase in low-cost airlines has
led to a fall in transport costs in general. Public-private alliances
must therefore safeguard service quality, jobs and safety where
this kind of product is concerned.

4.2.1.5 While providing training for professionals working
in a specific sector is a clear objective in all human activity, it
is even more important in a sector such as tourism which has a

4.2.2.2
Improving the social conditions of local commu-
nities visited by tourists must certainly be one of the objectives
of effective cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Several European regions will be affected by and have to adjust
to recent and future changes to the Common Agriculture
Policy. Farm holidays should perhaps be promoted as a way of
combining traditional farming activity with a new activity –
tourism – which can increase profitability. Consideration must
also be given to promoting tourism as a potential new activity
in areas affected by the restructuring of industry, mining or
similar activities. The Committee will be called upon to draft an
own-initiative opinion examining this alternative in depth for
the regions concerned.

4.2.2.3
Protecting the cultural, archaeological and architec-
tural heritage is perhaps one social objective which can best be
served by public-private cooperation. This is certainly the case
of the Red de Paradores de España and Pousadas in Portugal,
thanks to which a large number of monuments have been
restored and opened to the public, generating unquestionable
wealth in the surrounding area. This is a way of keeping public
assets in public hands while at the same time ensuring that
they are appreciated and enjoyed. This also applies to rural
areas, which many SMEs
see as a business opportunity.
However, such activities do not necessarily have to be carried
out by public entities alone; indeed, there are many examples
of palaces and monuments that have been restored privately
and are now profitable thanks to tourism, as the Committee's
study group saw during the visit organised in connection with
the Seville hearing. The countries that have just joined the EU
all have an extraordinary heritage that must be restored. This is
a new and exciting opportunity to promote tourism while
protecting heritage. Public-private cooperation in all its forms
has a very important role to play in achieving this objective.

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4.2.2.4
Tourism can also benefit from public-private coop-
eration in other sectors. Thus, for example, given the valuable
contribution made by the catering industry to prosperity and
cultural and tourist heritage, the promotion of public-private
cooperation to enhance high-quality agrifood development and
designations of origin will have an impact on tourism products
in the future.

4.2.2.5
One positive step could be the widespread imple-
mentation of the Code of Ethical Tourism, approved a few
years ago by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), as this
would highlight the need for public-private cooperation.

4.2.3
Economic. It is generally accepted that the economic
dimension is a key aspect of tourism. As already noted, the
tourism industry has proved to be a powerful engine for job
creation and wealth virtually worldwide, but especially in
Europe, and in even more concentrated form in the Mediterra-
nean countries. Sustainability here requires a strategic,
long-
term – not short- or medium-term – vision; it means devel-
oping tourism products with a view to current and future
they should be able to generate
competitiveness; and that
profits in the short, medium and long term and stable and
permanent employment year-round in the short, medium and
long term. The common objectives of effective cooperation will
thus be to seek and maintain the competitiveness and
economic profitability of the tourism sector.

4.2.3.1
Information and communication technologies (ICT)
are another area among the tourism sector's economic objec-
tives where cooperation is vital in order to meet the objectives
of both tourist destinations, usually represented by the public
sector, and of the economic activity of selling tourist services,
usually represented by businesses. Universally accessible tourist
information, including in peripheral regions, is essential if the
sector is to be competitive.

4.2.3.2 Where the economic objectives of cooperation are
concerned, it must be remembered that public sector interven-
tion is essential a) to prevent unfair competition and b) to level
out any aspects of competition, e.g. tax arrangements, which
may undermine the transparency of the market.

4.2.4.1
Environmental protection is one area in which
public-private cooperation could be instrumental in achieving
the objective of environmental quality. Recent events such as
the Prestige disaster have demonstrated the need for environ-
mental protection in the private as well as the public sector.

4.3
Finally, the possible objectives of adequate public-private
cooperation must always be consistent with the concept of
sustainability, which comprises on the one hand the three
dimensions of the economy, society and nature, and on the
other hand the three timescales (short, medium and long term),
and participation of all stakeholders in the tourism sector as an
integral
sustainable development policy and
is
measures that form the basis for cooperation.

factor.

It

5. Principles and criteria of cooperation

A number of principles must govern cooperation

5.1
between the public and private sectors in relation to tourism.

5.1.1
Remits: It is obvious that, in order to establish a solid,
lasting partnership, the various stakeholders must be able to
pursue independently their own objectives, determined by
mutual agreement, and that their remits must therefore be
recognised, whether in the form of an explicit legal mandate,
delegation of powers or just formal or informal representation.

5.1.2
Co-responsibility: The different stakeholders must be
either directly or indirectly concerned by or involved in the
situation for which the partnership has been set up.

5.1.3
Voluntary nature of cooperation: Only those who
freely choose to be active participants in a partnership are
bound by it.

5.1.4
Democracy: Rules for decision-taking and representa-
tion must be very clear and consistent with the principles of
participatory democracy.

The operating criteria for partnerships so as to ensure

5.2
that they meet their objectives include:

Concrete objectives:

5.2.1
if
possible, quantifiable in economic terms, with a fixed timescale
and mutually agreed.

specific and,

explicit,

i.e.

4.2.4
Environmental. Tourism is an industry, perhaps the
only industry, whose basic product is ‘natural attraction’, made
up of a combination of factors in which the perception of
nature, of its various settings and landscapes, its biodiversity,
and ultimately, respect for the environment, play a key role in
ensuring the quality and suitability of the product sought by
consumers, i.e. the tourists. It is perfectly feasible and desirable
for both public and private players to gear cooperation to
maintaining these conditions, which ensure both the sustain-
ability of natural resources and their rational and sustainable
use, making it possible for them to yield profits.

5.2.2
stakeholders, whether directly or indirectly.

Relevance: The objectives must be important for all

5.2.3 Monitoring of results: It is important for stakeholders
to be able to see clearly the results of their participation in a
partnership; otherwise they lose interest and withdraw.

5.2.4
Proportionality: It is essential that the involvement of
stakeholders should be in proportion to the scale of the chal-
lenges faced.

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6. Instruments and types of association and cooperation

i.e.

In order to describe instruments and types of associa-
6.1
tion, it is first necessary to establish the ideal level of coopera-
tion,
the level at which it makes sense, which means
analysing and defining the context in which the challenge is
occurring, in which a solution can be found and in which the
expertise of all stakeholders can be brought to bear. Thus the
context will be local if the problem is purely local and if the
expertise to address and apply solutions is available locally. The
same applies at the regional and state levels.

6.2
Another basic feature is inclusiveness. It is important
that all stakeholders can contribute something to the solution,
whether it be means, information or coordination of activities.

6.3

Specific types of partnership might be:

Informal: The stakeholders set up an informal strategic
6.3.1
alliance, working group, forum or similar arrangement, without
legal personality. Decisions are taken by a majority, but should
not be binding or create obligations for those involved, except
for those voluntarily entered into.

6.3.2
Formal: Such arrangements may take the form of
consortiums, foundations, public entities, joint ventures, asso-
ciations, etc. They are governed by rules that lay down the
conditions of agreements and their implementation.

6.3.3
Ensuring that economic and social stakeholders are
involved in defining a permanent framework of labour relations
based on rights, and developing collective bargaining, will have
a positive impact on the competitiveness, profitability, stability
and social and economic efficiency of tourism. Economic and
social stakeholders must also be involved in social dialogue,
along with public authorities and institutions, whenever the
topics under discussion call for tripartite involvement.

7. Role of networks of stakeholders: of towns and cities,

businesses, specific projects

In today's globalised world, economic activity cannot be
7.1
conducted in isolation; this principle also applies to towns and
cities and, in the present case, tourist destinations and opera-
tors. According to experts in this area, in territorial terms the
new global economy will be based on networks of towns and
cities in order to facilitate coordination. Although during the
early phase tourist destinations employ competitive strategies
to attract funding, increase sales and raise their international
profile – in short, to be better, more competitive and faster
growing – in a later phase they tend to become aware of the
need to link up with other destinations for the purpose of joint
promotion and lobbying of national governments and/or inter-
national organisations.

7.2 More and more the exchange of experience between
tourist destinations around the world is considered necessary in
order to work towards common objectives of sustainability and

competitiveness. There are a number of positive aspects to this,
the most important of which are perhaps the ability to prevent
strategic mistakes and the incorporation of the best instruments
of sustainable management. Networks are a complementary
and alternative way of representing cities, businesses or institu-
tions.
strengthen these networks by allowing their
members to have an informal, instantaneous and valuable rela-
tionship.

ICTs

7.3
Networking is not always without problems and nega-
tive aspects: sometimes there are conflicts of interest which
the strongest
hinder cooperation, while, at other
members of the network are the ones that reap the most bene-
fits from it.

times,

7.4
For businesses, like cities, networking is a powerful tool
for providing and exchanging information, making them more
competitive and raising their profile vis-à-vis public institu-
tions.

example

A number of specific tourism projects are network-
7.5
the European Union's URB-AL
based. One
programme, which aims to set up networks of cities to work
on many areas of the economy, society and urban develop-
ment. These areas sometimes promote the exchange of experi-
ences of sustainable tourism.

is

8. Positive examples of public-private cooperation in the

sphere of European tourism

8.1
Various positive examples of public-private cooperation
were analysed during the public hearing held in Seville on 15
April 2004. The following should be mentioned in particular:

8.1.1
Turisme de Barcelona: This company was set up in
1993 by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Barcelona City
Council and the Barcelona Promoció Foundation with a view to
promoting Barcelona as a tourist destination. In the ten years
that have passed since then, Turisme de Barcelona has helped
to improve both the image and tourist facilities of the city. This
positive development is reflected in the growth of supply and
demand, the improved hotel occupancy rate and other indica-
tors. However, the most revealing aspect is perhaps the fact
that over these ten years the contribution of
institutional
budget appropriations has fallen from 70 % of the total budget
to just 20 %, with the remaining income generated internally
by Turisme de Barcelona's own activity as an intermediary in
the hotel room market. A number of successful tourist products
warrant a special mention, such as the Barcelona Bus Turistic,
Barcelona Card and Barcelona Pass, as well as programmes
such as the Barcelona Convention Bureau, Barcelona Shopping
Line, etc. These products undoubtedly owe their success to the
climate of close cooperation and understanding between the
tourism industry and the public authorities, which are working
together to improve tourist facilities in Barcelona.

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Institute

8.1.2
for High-Quality Tourism in Spain
(ICTE): The ICTE dates back to the early 1990s when various
instruments designed to actively improve quality were created.
In 2000 the Institute for High-Quality Tourism in Spain was
set up in response to evidence that emerging tourist destina-
tions in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, etc. were beginning to
pose a threat to the Spanish tourism industry's position as
leader. A clear strategy was chosen of overall quality based on
the need to integrate all tourism stakeholders in all aspects of
its work. All its activities involve those players linked to the
particular sub-sector: hotels, restaurants, travel agents, transport
companies, rural tourism companies, golf clubs, health resorts,
municipalities and provinces. Today, more than 250 business
associations, national government, the Autonomous Commu-
nities and city councils, more than 3,000 tourism companies
receiving technical assistance and 463 companies and bodies
with a high-quality tourism certificate participate in the Inte-
grated System of High-Quality Tourist Destinations in Spain.
As with Barcelona, the ICTE is a positive example of public-
private cooperation as a way of improving overall quality, an
essential element of tourist activity.

8.1.3 Other examples provided at the Seville hearing:
Andalusia's public-private cooperation model, which has now
been in existence for twenty years and has resulted in five
cooperation agreements covering all sectors of production,
including tourism. This model is based on cooperation between
the
the Autonomous Community's public administration,
Employers' Confederation of Andalusia and the main Andalu-
sian trade unions,
the General Workers' Union (UGT) and
Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), and has created a climate of trust
and stability, both of which are essential for tourist activity.

As an example of local policy, the Committee welcomes
8.2
the fact that, during its Seville hearing on cooperation between
the public and private sectors, the Mayor of Seville once again
called on economic and social stakeholders and the tourism
sector in general to draw up a pact to ensure that all stake-
holders are fully involved in shaping, drafting, planning, imple-
menting and evaluating tourism policy in their particular area.
This initiative could be a point of reference, along with other
initiatives already in the pipeline, for major cities and towns of
varying sizes when promoting cooperation at local level.

Several examples are available of successful cooperation
8.3
projects undertaken in the field of social tourism with the aim
of facilitating universal access to holidays and tourism. The
holiday cheque scheme overseen in France by the National
Agency for Holiday Cheques (ANCV) and in Hungary by the
National Society for Leisure Activities is one such case, as are
the tourist programmes for older people developed by the Insti-
tuto Nacional para o Aproveitamento do Tempo Livre dos Trabahla-
dores (INATEL – national institute which helps workers to make
best use of their free time) in Portugal, the tourism programme
for older people run by the social services office (INSERSO) in
Spain, the promotion of youth hostels in Brussels, supported
by the Commission for the French Community (COCOF) and

various public-sector
training programmes, and the help
provided for renovating holiday centres that are members of
associations such as the Youth Tourism Centre (CTG) in Italy.

8.4
There are without doubt many other positive examples
of public-private cooperation throughout Europe and the
world, such as those listed in the WTO and Canadian Tourism
Commission's excellent publication entitled Cooperation and
Partnerships in Tourism – A Global Perspective, which was
published in 2003. This publication provides 18 positive exam-
ples of cooperation in tourism at global
level, all of which
warrant special consideration in terms of demonstrating good
practice.

9. Promoting cooperation at European level

9.1
The newly enlarged Europe, from every angle and, in
particular, in terms of tourism, is a very dynamic environment
in which a multitude of changes are taking place, affecting the
structures of both supply and demand. At the Lisbon Summit,
the EU embarked on a strategy to make Europe the most
dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the
world over the coming years, capable of generating sustainable
economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social
cohesion. In order to achieve this ambitious objective, greater
cooperation both amongst
the institutions and within the
public and private sectors is needed. In the past, tourism has
demonstrated its ability to create jobs and generate well-being
and must continue to fulfil this role in the future in the 25-
strong European Union and following subsequent waves of
accession. The Committee would invite the Commission to
study the possibility of creating a European Consultative
Council on Tourism as a concrete platform from which to
develop the principle of cooperation at European level.

9.2
This Council could comprise representatives of the Euro-
pean institutions (Commission, Parliament, European Economic
and Social Committee and Committee of the Regions), the
European Youth Council and the Member States, equal
numbers of representatives of employers' organisations and
trade unions, as well as representatives of European consumer,
environment, disability and social tourism organisations and
universities, and renowned experts in the field.

9.3
The European Consultative Council on Tourism could
gather and analyse data on the past and future development of
tourism, suggest ways of supporting and participating in action
undertaken by the Commission, provide a reference framework
for cooperation to be further developed by the various stake-
holders in other tourist-related sectors of the Union and plan
the convening of the European Tourism Forum and the follow-
up to the agreements it reaches.

Should this proposal be deemed appropriate by the
9.4
Commission, the Committee would be keen to contribute to
putting it in place and making it fully operative in time for the
2005 European Tourism Forum.

C 74/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

23.3.2005

10. Final comments

In today's globalised and yet specialised world,

10.1
it is
necessary to constantly re-think the models on which
economic, social, land planning and urban development activ-
ities are based. This applies to tourism too, which raises many
challenges in terms of quality, sustainability and competitive-
ness for all the stakeholders concerned.

10.2
The Committee believes that only if the various public
and private stakeholders adopt a basic attitude of cooperation
will
it be possible to meet the major challenges facing all
human activity, but in particular tourism, owing to its strategic
nature, its essential role as a human service provider and as a
vector of cultural exchange.

10.3
Public-private cooperation is an increasingly important
aspect of positive action in the tourism sector. This must be
encouraged in as many ways as possible as it cannot but help
the sector's objectives to be met. It is the responsibility of all
stakeholders to incorporate this aspect into the way in which
they respond to the major changes taking place in the world
today.

10.4
The Committee welcomes the European Commission's
initiative to continue to hold the European Tourism Forum
every year, as this is a platform where cooperation guidelines
and criteria can be defined at European level in conjunction
in particular economic and
with stakeholders in the sector,

Brussels, 15 September 2004.

social stakeholders, authorities and other bodies. The idea is
that such guidelines and criteria will lead to similar initiatives
in the various EU Member States, regions and towns and even
between sectors and regions themselves.

10.5
The Committee hopes to contribute towards coopera-
tion in the tourism sector by promoting encounters, dialogue
in particular
and agreement between tourism representatives,
economic and social stakeholders, national, regional and local
authorities and bodies and associations involved in sustainable
tourism,
the social
such as consumers, environmentalists,
economy and people with disabilities. It will also continue to
cooperate with the WTO and the International Bureau of Social
Tourism (BITS). The Committee therefore reiterates its offer to
act as a meeting point for all parties who see tourism as an
individual right which must be considered not only as an
industry and economic activity, but also as an element of
personal and human development and understanding, reconci-
liation and peace between peoples.

10.6
The Committee intends to support, through an annual
declaration, the World Tourism Day initiated by the WTO. This
year, the Committee's contribution to this event, and to the
2004 European Tourism Forum to be held in Budapest, comes
in the shape of this opinion, which may be considered as the
Seville Declaration on Tourism Policy and Public-Private Coop-
eration.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH