Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Social tourism in Europe
Date: 2006-09-14
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: European social policy, social analysis, socially disadvantaged class, tourism policy

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Social tourism in Europe

(2006/C 318/12)

On 19 January 2006, the European Economic and Social Committee, under Rule 29(2) of its Rules of Proce-
dure, decided to draw up an opinion on: Social tourism in Europe.

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 26 July 2006. The rapporteur was Mr Mendoza
Castro.

At its 429th plenary session, held on 13 and 14 September 2006 (meeting of 14 September), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 138 votes to two, with four abstentions.

A. PART ONE: ANALYSIS OF CURRENT SITUATION

peace. For such a strategic industry as tourism in Europe, these
challenges — and many others — are a necessary step towards
a better quality of life for all.

1.

Introduction

1.1
To tie in with the various opinions it has been drawing
up as a contribution to the framing of a European tourism
the European Economic and Social Committee has
policy,
decided to draft an opinion on social tourism, analysing its
origins, development and current situation in Europe,
the
experiences of different Member States and the values it repre-
In particular, the opinion will make recommendations
sents.
aimed at public and private institutions with a view to enhan-
cing social tourism in Europe and making it accessible to all.
This opinion also contributes to the current debate on European
tourism policy by looking at social tourism as an integral part
of the European tourism model.

1.3
Tourism policy in the European Union. On 6 April
2005, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted
an opinion on Tourism policy in the enlarged European Union,
which analysed in detail both current tourism policy,
in the
light of the Constitutional Treaty, and the repercussions of the
present and future enlargement. The opinion welcomes the role
of tourism as supporting, coordinating and complementary to
other European policies. For example, tourism has strong links
with employment and social policy, the improvement of quality,
technological research and development, consumer protection,
environmental policy and other very diverse policies. In particu-
lar it should be pointed out that the present opinion aims to
pinpoint and analyse the contribution of social
tourism to
employment and social policies. The EESC,
in the context of
various opinions on tourism,
is promoting European policies
that focus on creating a European tourism model based not
necessarily on legislation but on values. Social tourism and the
values associated with it could form a key part of this model,
and help to establish and disseminate it.

tourism from a wide range of angles:

1.2
Tourism in Europe: state of play and future challenges.
There have been various studies, reports and opinions discussing
the situation of
the
economic, social and environmental aspects; the high impor-
tance of tourism in the European and various national econo-
mies;
its positive contribution to wealth and employment in
Europe. All of these factors combine to create a picture of
strong potential, stability and growth. However,
is also
pointed out that tourism brings with it various internal and
external problems and threats in the short, medium or long
term: seasonality, the use or abuse of natural resources, poor
appreciation of cultural heritage and the local environment, and
concerns over terrorism affecting the safety of local people and
tourists. These factors mean that tourism raises some major
challenges that will need to be addressed if it is to follow the
path of sustainable development. These challenges include the
accessibility of tourism to all, its real contribution to the devel-
opment of many undeveloped countries around the world,
environmental sustainability, respect for the Code of Ethics for
Tourism, job stability and quality, and a contribution to world

it

The challenge of

1.4
the Lisbon agenda and social
tourism. Attention should be given to the challenge that the
Lisbon agenda raises for tourism, especially social tourism. As
the strategic objective of the agenda is to make Europe ‘the
most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in
the world, capable of sustained growth, growth providing
more and better jobs and greater social cohesion’, it will be
necessary to analyse whether social tourism contributes effec-
tively and positively to this goal, how it achieves this, and how
its contribution could be enhanced. As will be explained in the
course of this opinion, the EESC believes that while this contri-
bution is real, it could be strengthened. Measures will therefore
be proposed for the various players involved in social tourism.

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Background to the opinion. There is a wide variety of
1.5
background material to this opinion, both in terms of theory
(studies, reports,
journals) and practice (actual examples of
social tourism initiatives in Europe). There have been a great
many contributions from public and private institutions; among
these, it is worth mentioning the EESC's opinion of 29 October
2003 on Socially sustainable tourism for everyone which
includes social tourism among 100 initiatives (point 5.5.2); also
worth citing is the opinion of 6 April 2005 on Tourism policy
in the enlarged EU, which includes the European social tourism
project as a potential pilot project for European institutional
cooperation.

2. The concept of social tourism

The right to tourism as a keystone of social tourism.
2.1
Everyone has the right to rest on a daily, weekly and yearly
basis, and the right to the leisure time that enables them to
develop every aspect of their personality and their social integra-
tion. Clearly, everyone is entitled to exercise this right
to
personal development. The right to tourism is a concrete expres-
sion of this general right, and social tourism is underpinned by
the desire to ensure that it is universally accessible in practice.
Thus social tourism is not marginal or extraneous to tourism in
general, which is a major industry in the world, in Europe as a
whole and in various Member States in particular; on the
contrary, it is a way of putting into practice this universal right
to participate in tourism, to travel, to get to know other regions
and countries — the very foundation of tourism. It should be
highlighted that this right is enshrined in Article 7 of the Global
Code of Ethics for Tourism approved by the World Tourism
Organization in Santiago de Chile on 1 October 1999 and
adopted by the United Nations on 21 December 2001.

2.2
Definition of social tourism. There are many ideas
about what social tourism really is, making it difficult to define
the concept precisely. While the various institutions that have
covered the topic use widely differing methods (such as the
identification of content, expected results, aims,
ideas and
beliefs), they always base themselves on one tenet: everybody,
including the least privileged, has the right to rest, relaxation
and time off from work on a daily, weekly and yearly basis.
According to the International Bureau of Social Tourism (BITS),
social tourism is ‘all the concepts and phenomena resulting from the
participation in tourism of low-income sectors of the population, made
possible through well defined social measures’. BITS is currently in
the process of revising this definition, expanding it to include
the contribution tourism makes to development and solidarity.

highest number of people, particularly the most underprivileged sectors
of the population’. This already dated definition is being revised in
the wake of the technical meetings held in recent years. The
EESC does not believe that either definition is precise enough;
however, as is often the case in the social sciences, an exact defi-
than the identification of specific
nition is less important
features.

Consequently — and without any intention of giving a
2.2.2
precise definition of social
tourism, but starting from the
premise that tourism is a general right which we should try to
make accessible to everyone — we can say that an activity
constitutes social tourism whenever three conditions are met:

— Real-life circumstances are such that it is totally or partially
impossible to fully exercise the right to tourism. This may
be due to economic conditions, physical or mental disability,
personal or family isolation, reduced mobility, geographical
difficulties, and a wide variety of causes which ultimately
constitute a real obstacle.

— Someone — be it a public or private institution, a company,
a trade union, or simply an organised group of people —
decides to take action to overcome or reduce the obstacle
to
which prevents a person from exercising their right
tourism.

— This action is effective and actually helps a group of people
to participate in tourism in a manner which respects the
values of sustainability, accessibility and solidarity.

2.2.3
Ultimately, just as tourism in general is an integrated
activity involving various sectors, branches of activity and
those
spheres of development, social
initiatives which make tourism accessible to persons with
special needs, at the same time generating social and economic
benefits for various sectors, activities and groups.

tourism subsumes all

2.3

History of social tourism

According to the European Commission (1),
2.2.1
‘social
tourism is organised in some countries by associations, cooperatives
and trade unions and is designed to make travel accessible to the

(1) The different concepts of social tourism: the evolution of supply and

demand, Directorate-General XXIII, Tourism Unit, 1993.

— Although the emergence of social tourism activities as we
know them today is not clear, they may have originated in
the organisations that specialised in holidays based on
physical exercise in the mountains, which arose at the begin-
ning of the 20th century, or the holiday camps for children
from underprivileged families that emerged in Switzerland
and France.

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— The public authorities began to get involved in the early
forms of social tourism after the Second World War. This
involvement was connected with workers' movements, with
some European countries (France, Italy, Portugal and Spain)
organising social tourism activities, while others (UK, Neth-
erlands) simply adopted a non-interventionist attitude.

days should not be differentiated from tourist holidays in
general, but should help with social integration. General tourist
holidays should provide social tourism groups with suitable
conditions for enjoying their holiday and not the other way
round. Clearly this implies that an effort has to be made not
only as regards facilities, but also the type of service and hence
the special training that workers in the sector should receive.

— It was in the 50s and 60s that efforts to promote social
tourism really took off and many organisations, associations
and coordinating bodies emerged,
including the Brussels-
based International Bureau of Social Tourism (BITS), which
still carries out extensive promotional and representative
work today.

Basics of social tourism. According to BITS, social

2.4
tourism is based on five criteria:

The right of the majority to enjoy tourism. It is
2.4.1
perhaps the desire to make this right a reality that justifies and
underpins most strongly the various social tourism initiatives.
The number of people who today benefit from a period of
holiday has grown considerably as a result of the spread of
tourism throughout society, but there are still many groups
which, for various reasons, have no access to holidays. Lack of
funds is the most common factor preventing this right from
becoming universal.
It is unlikely that the public authorities
could or would use public funds to guarantee the right to
tourism or holidays. Different countries respond to the issue in
a variety of ways: some are more committed for social reasons,
while others are less proactive in addressing a situation which
prevents holidays from becoming accessible to all. It is impor-
tant to stress that social tourism can or should in no way be
equated with tourism of an inferior quality or type; quite the
contrary, the hallmark of social tourism activities must be the
greatest concern for overall quality as regards both facilities and
service.

The contribution of social tourism to social inte-
2.4.2
gration. Tourism is a powerful driver of social
integration,
fostering contact with other cultures, places, customs and, espe-
cially, people: without travel, holidays and tourism, it would be
impossible for people to meet,
talk and acknowledge one
another as fundamentally equal, yet culturally different. This
cultural exchange and enjoyment of leisure time is an important
means of personal development, both for tourists and for those
who receive them in their local environment. The cultural
exchange generated by tourism is especially valuable for young
people, enhancing their intellectual development and enriching
their view of the world. In the EU's case, social tourism could
be effective in helping to build the Citizens' Europe. It is impor-
tant to stress that the general opinion is that social tourism holi-

Creation of

sustainable tourism structures.

In
2.4.3
reality, infrastructures in tourist destinations and areas cannot
always be called sustainable, particularly since tourism has often
developed under conditions of short-term profitability, abuse of
natural resources and occupation of the best areas — usually
coasts and mountains. Social tourism, which focuses more on
the social conditions than the economic aspects, can help to
build or
tourist destinations while meeting
economic, social and environmental sustainability criteria. The
way in which the various kinds of social tourism are managed is
a key factor in the sustainability of tourist destinations and
areas. If sustainability is, essentially, the balance between various
aspects of human activity, then social tourism is a sustainable
development tool for many less developed countries which see
tourism as a source of economic activity that can lift them out
of poverty.

rehabilitate

industry, and one of

its economic importance and,

Contribution to employment and economic devel-
2.4.4
opment. Tourism is possibly already and will certainly one day
become the most powerful global
the
greatest contributors to employment, development, wealth and
quality of life in its beneficiaries. While social tourism contri-
butes to this economic strength, it is not yet sufficiently aware
of its own power,
its
ability to make the choice of destinations conditional on
sustainability. Social
tourism companies and bodies need to
look beyond economic criteria when developing their activities.
One criterion that should be used is the creation of stable, high-
quality employment, which is key to the sustainable develop-
ment of a tourist destination.
tourism's
contribution (whether it be great or small) to combating season-
ality is a basic criterion when aiming for quality and stability of
employment, and should form an integral part of the European
tourism model. Public-private partnerships in the management
of social tourism can serve as a useful instrument and indicator
for meeting this criterion.

In particular, social

indeed,

2.4.5
The contribution of social tourism to global devel-
opment. It has been mentioned above that tourism, particularly
social tourism, can provide many communities with an escape
industrial crisis and the
route from underdevelopment or

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collapse of mining, industrial or farming activities. The condi-
tions required for the development of social tourism are the
same as those needed for an area and its inhabitants to see
tourist activity as a driver of development. Insofar as commu-
nities can earn their livelihood from tourist activity, the local
economy and social stability will be strengthened. As recom-
mended by many international bodies, tourist activity is a good
antidote to wars and disasters of all types. Tourism signifies
welcome, exchange, the enhancement of local assets, friendship
and communication between people, as opposed to war, which
represents aggression, invasion and the destruction of nature. If
one only loves what one knows, then tourism can encourage
people to become closer and learn about each other,
thus
promoting peace, harmony and development. Social tourism
can and should be reinforced, and should help to promote the
conditions of equality,
justice, democracy and well-being that
enable the mutually-supportive development of all peoples
around the world.

Principles and conditions of social tourism and its
2.5
management. It is important to analyse the factors and criteria
that characterise social tourism and the way it is managed so as
to distinguish those aspects that can and those that cannot be
labelled ‘social’. In line with BITS, we can indicate some of the
criteria that determine the general concept of tourism:

— the basic aim should be to increase the accessibility of
tourism to all groups for whom such tourism is difficult, or
to one particular group;

— it should be open to a wide variety of user groups and
sectors. It should also be open to different forms of manage-
ment and social tourism practitioners;

— groups at which activities are aimed should be properly
defined: social categories, age groups, persons with disabil-
ities, and always meeting the criterion of non-discrimination
on the grounds of race, culture or social situation;

— initiatives and objectives should be included that are huma-
nist, educational, cultural and relate to personal development
in general;

— there should be a clear desire to integrate the tourist activity

into the local environment in a sustainable manner;

— human resources should be managed in a way that promotes
job satisfaction and integration, focusing on the quality of
employment of social tourism organisation employees.

These and similar criteria can be used as guidelines for action by
those managing social tourism, and to identify the activity.

Company profitability and social

2.6
tourism. Social
tourism is, quite rightly, an economic activity (although not
exclusively so), and it should be governed by the basic principles
of return on investment and the profit necessary to pursue and
achieve its basic goals. Only businesses which are competitive
and profitable in the broadest sense can operate effectively,
safely and with guarantees for consumers. The varying situation
of social tourism today shows that the businesses and organisa-
tions devoted to this activity are profitable once they have estab-
lished their structure and have the right market and appropriate
tourism organisations
prices.
create jobs both throughout the year and during low-occupancy
periods, thus helping to provide employment for the workers
affected.

is worth noting that social

It

Social profitability of

2.7
tourism. Although social
tourism is an economic activity, it is also clearly a social activity,
bringing benefits in this field. Visitors benefit on their holidays,
tourism workers benefit in their work, and society as a whole
gains. In the EU's case, social tourism is having an increasing
impact on the construction of the Citizens' Europe and will
surely continue to do so. Travel within Europe by as many citi-
zens as possible can only lead to greater knowledge, under-
standing and tolerance.

2.8
Concepts and views of social tourism in Europe.
Social tourism today means different things in the different EU
Member States that operate such programmes, but there are
three points in common:

— the real ability to have free time to go on holiday;

— there should be transparency in the economic side of the
activity, with profits reduced to the level necessary to meet
the social objectives;

— the financial ability to travel;

— the tourism product should add non-monetary value;

these rights accessible in practice.

— the existence of a channel, structure or instrument making

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Thus, social tourism would include all travel and activ-
2.8.1
ities organised by trade unions, for family reasons, for religious
reasons, organised by companies for their workers, organised by
public institutions, for people with disabilities, young people or
senior citizens with low incomes, and various other situations.

2.9
Social tourism bodies. There are also various bodies
which work in and manage social tourism throughout Europe,
including:

— national federations or consortia;

— public establishments, focused on social tourism or with

activities relating to it;

— social tourism, sporting or cultural associations;

— cooperation bodies;

— trade unions;

— joint enterprises.

In some countries,

ideological and
tourism activities varies greatly for historical,
social reasons.
the government, whether
national, regional or local, provides significant financial aid.
These funds are often aimed at various groups: young people,
senior citizens, people with disabilities, underprivileged people,
etc. Governments are currently taking steps to go beyond the
national limits of their social tourism programmes with various
types of transnational exchanges.

Employers. It is important to note that there are initia-
3.3
tives such as ‘holiday vouchers’, whereby employers contribute
financially to help facilitate holidays for their staff. Furthermore,
as mentioned, it should be borne in mind that social tourism is
a major economic activity with great potential and, as such,
attracts entrepreneurs from the tourism sector who see it as a
means to boost their activities as service providers or intermedi-
aries. One noteworthy initiative is the Spanish company Mundo
Senior (‘Senior World’) which comprises various large tourism
companies and was set up originally to manage the social
the Ministry for Labour and Social
tourism programme of
Affairs, and which has expanded its social scope and activity by
offering specialised tourism products for senior citizens. Clearly,
the competitiveness criterion is not hindered by the social
nature of this activity. In the future, there will need to be public-
private partnership initiatives
to develop profitable social
tourism programmes both within Member States and between
different countries.

3. Social tourism players and their roles

3.1
The European institutions. The European institutions
are displaying a growing interest in social tourism, as illustrated
by the various studies, opinions, reports and conferences being
organised, promoted or coordinated by the Parliament,
the
Commission and the EESC. Essentially, their activity focuses on
gathering, classifying and circulating the wide range of experi-
ences acquired by European countries. In particular, the role
being played by the Commission is to promote new experiences
in each country, and to bring together those responsible in the
various countries with a view to cooperating on transnational
initiatives. At present, the Commission's role does not seem to
include acting as general coordinator of social tourism experi-
ences at EU level. It is worth noting the recent survey conducted
by the Tourism Unit of DG Enterprise, which looked at EU citi-
zens' participation in holidays and the reasons why some 40 %
of them do not take part in tourist activities. It does not seem
unfeasible that the Commission might one day take on the role
of general coordinator for a social tourism platform at European
level. This role would not necessarily call for financial contribu-
tions from the European institutions in order to develop such a
joint transnational platform.

3.2 Member States' governments. As pointed out above,
the involvement of Member States' governments in social

3.4 Workers. Ever since social tourism first emerged, trade
unions, as the bodies which defend workers' rights, have had a
strong presence in tourism, as a means of obtaining benefits for
their members. This presence is illustrated through support for
physical infrastructure, holiday complexes, guest houses, etc. and
for specialised services. Experiences and commitment levels vary
from country to country, but in almost all countries there is
some kind of social
tourism activity stemming from trade
unions. It is worth mentioning the trade union organisations of
the newest Member States, which are seeking a valid model for
social tourism and relations with more experienced bodies. It is
also worth mentioning an interesting study that was carried out
by BITS in May 2005, relating to various trade unions' tourism
activities for workers and listing one by one the activities
currently existing in the 25 EU countries. It is a useful source of
information and analysis about the current state of play.

3.5
Specialised associations. These associations include the
consumer cooperatives that in certain countries (Italy and the
UK) have extensive networks of agencies organising social
tourism, together with the youth and environmental organisa-
tions operating in this field, and the associations belonging to
the social tourism bodies themselves, such as the BITS, which
important support, coordination and promotion
carries out
work.

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Groups involved directly and indirectly in social
3.6
tourism. Evidently, the beneficiaries themselves are the main
players in the various social tourism programmes and activities.
It is they who benefit first from the economic advantages that
enable them to enjoy their leisure time and holidays, taking part
to them.
in the sporting or cultural activities that appeal
Secondly, they benefit from tourism that is respectful of geogra-
phical resources, heritage and the environment, and the relation-
ship between the beneficiaries and the inhabitants of the host
areas. Together, these activities help to foster mutual knowledge,
relaxation and well-being. Local communities in which social
tourism is practiced also benefit from employment, economic
activity and development.

— to provide free use through an extensive network of tourism

professionals able to respond efficiently to all requests;

— collaborate in the development of

tourism, helping to

achieve a more even spread of tourism across the regions.

It should be mentioned that holiday vouchers are
4.2.1.2
received annually by some 2.5 million people and benefit some
7 million travellers. The ANCV has more than 21 000 affiliated
organisations which participate in its
financing and some
135 000 tourism and leisure practitioners are involved in
providing services.

4. The reality of social tourism in Europe today

Theoretical,

legislative and planning context.

4.1
In
Europe, the theoretical, legislative and planning framework for
social tourism is not very extensive at present; however, there
are a number of studies and reports that aim to inventory and
carry out comparative analyses of the various examples of social
tourism in Europe. Some of these are listed as technical and
documentary references in Part D of this opinion.

the

Various practical experiences in Europe. As indicated
4.2
above, during the course of
the study group's work, at the
hearing held in Barcelona on 4 and 5 May 2006 and from the
information on experiences described at
conference
‘Tourism for all’ organised by BITS and the Commission, it has
been possible to single out and become familiar with many
practical initiatives in Europe which may be described as mani-
It is not for this opinion to study these
festly successfully.
experiences in detail, but we do consider it appropriate to
mention some of the most important which will undoubtedly
help to raise the profile of social tourism and can serve as a
guide for others working in the social tourism sector, or for
those states or areas that, for various reasons, do not have
programmes in this field.

4.2.1
The French Agence Nationale pour les Chèques-
Vacances (ANCV) [National Holiday Vouchers Agency] had a
turnover estimated at around EUR 1 billion in 2005. It was set
up in 1982 as a ‘public body with industrial and commercial
character’ and after more than 23 years of activity it remains a
useful social policy tool for tourism.

4.2.1.1

Its objectives are threefold:

In addition, its programme helps to provide holidays
4.2.1.3
for especially underprivileged groups, groups of disabled people,
young people, etc. by means of holiday grants to the tune of
EUR 4.5 million. The Agency also invests considerable sums in
the modernisation of social tourism amenities.

4.2.1.4
Overall it would appear that the programme's conti-
nuity and profitability is assured; economic studies will, doubt-
less, show that the impact of its economic activities enable it to
recoup the financial outlay.

4.2.1.5
The Agency's objectives for the next few years are to
continue extending and disseminating its services among users
and tourism practitioners. Perhaps these objectives could include
a transnational dimension to the programme by means of agree-
ments with European countries; the benefits would undoubtedly
be mutual, exemplary and of great economic and social impor-
tance.

4.2.2
The IMSERSO social tourism programme in Spain
has similar aims but uses a different approach and instruments.
It helps more than one million people annually to go on orga-
nised trips, in groups, in the low season, and especially older
people. The Spanish State invests about EUR 75 million
annually in the programme, but through various tax mechan-
isms (VAT, tax on commercial and professional activities, corpo-
rate profits and income of physical persons), increased revenue
from social security contributions and savings on unemploy-
ment benefits, the programme brings in some EUR 125 million
and is therefore economically highly profitable. The social and
the programme is clear as it has
economic profitability of
enabled broad sections of the elderly population to travel for
the first time, to get to know other cities and places, broaden
their social relations on an equal footing, improve their physical
fitness — and the quality and user satisfaction is reasonable.

— to help the maximum number of people possible to go on

holiday, especially those on low incomes;

4.2.2.1
for every EUR 1 invested in the programme.

Furthermore costs are recouped at a rate of EUR 1.7

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this
4.2.2.2 Mention should be made of
programme on employment,
about 10 000
workers who would otherwise be unemployed in the low season
as the hotels and other establishments and businesses remain
open.

the impact of

estimated at

[Leisure Time Guest Houses] programme, along with the
Conoce tu Costa [Know Your Coast] programme, which
involves cooperation between the regional administration and
local councils to encourage tourism by older people within the
Autonomous Community.

4.2.2.3
The programme is constantly expanding and evol-
ving, seeking out new forms of social tourism with greater
cultural, health and social value, such as stays in spas, undoubt-
edly successful, or cultural tours and events.

4.2.3.5 Mention should further be made of the presence of
social tourism on the European Union's tourism portal, www.
visiteurope.com, which is intended as a consultation site for all
tourist activity in Europe, including social tourism.

4.2.2.4
As in the case of France, there is broad scope for
expanding the programme, not only within the country but also
abroad. At present the Spanish Imserso has already reached an
agreement with its Portuguese counterpart on an exchange of
tourists and is studying doing the same with France. This could
be an exportable model of great value for the rest of Europe.

General assessment of social tourism. Social tourism

4.3
brings many values to European society, including:

— satisfaction for beneficiaries, not

through the direct
activity of taking a holiday, but also through the ‘special’
nature of this leisure activity;

just

— the human dimension and values of the activity;

4.2.3 Other experiences. Besides these two major social
tourism programmes in Europe, there are other good examples,
perhaps more limited, targeted more at more clearly defined
users, but no less valuable for that. Such is the case of the
example analysed at the Barcelona hearing, namely the Plata-
forma Representativa Estatal de Discapacitados Físicos
(PREDIF) [Representative State Platform for Physically Disabled
People] which focuses on a very specific group but successfully
manages a programme of holidays for this group.

— improvement in the well-being and personal development of

beneficiaries and the hosting community;

— profitability and economic gain for the tourist

industry,

particularly by extending the high season;

— benefits from the creation of stable, high-quality employ-

ment year-round;

Different, but

also very interesting and worth
4.2.3.1
mentioning is the shared initiative of three organisations, one
from the UK (Family Holiday Association), one from Belgium
(Toerisme Vlaanderen) and one from France (Vacances
Ouvertes) which coordinate to facilitate ‘tourism for everyone’
in their three countries.

4.2.3.2
Social tourism activities can also be found in other
European countries, including Portugal, Poland and Hungary,
where the trade unions play an important role, and in Italy
where the programme is sponsored by the consumer coopera-
tives. To conclude, it can be stated that the variety of initiatives,
user numbers and diversity are on the increase throughout
Europe.

Similarly,

4.2.3.3
it must be noted that some regions and
municipalities are developing social tourism initiatives in one
form or another, e.g. the Autonomous Community of the
Balearic Islands with its Plan OCI 60.

4.2.3.4
(Spain)

At regional level too, the government of Andalusia
is developing the Residencias de Tiempo Libre

— maintenance of sustainability in host areas;

— enhancement of the local environment and its natural, social

and cultural resources and heritage;

— boosting of knowledge and exchange between EU countries.

tourism has already achieved,

4.3.1
This whole set of values, together with the successes
the prospects for
that social
growth, and the research into and introduction of new products,
all make for a highly positive general assessment of social
tourism in Europe from all angles.

4.3.2
Such an all-round positive assessment means that we
can dub social tourism a ‘miracle’ in that all the practitioners
and users obtain all kinds of benefits: economic, social, health,
employment, European citizenship … no one is harmed by this
activity … the bottom line is that it would be difficult to find a
human economic activity that is so universally recognised and
supported.

Accordingly it

4.3.3
this opinion to
warmly commend proposals and formulas which would (i)
consolidate and improve existing programmes and (ii) extend
their benefits to broader sections of the population.

is not difficult

for

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B. PART TWO: PROPOSALS

the price) or average annual occupation by increasing the
season during which tourist establishments are open;

5. Towards a European social tourism platform

5.1
Prerequisites. It has been shown above that, regardless
of the definition given of social tourism or how it is financed or
managed, it is a powerful, profitable and stable economic and
factor, which meets its objectives whilst satisfying its
social
beneficiaries, contributing to employment and reducing the
seasonal nature of tourism. Indeed, it is an activity that is of
great value throughout the world, particularly in Europe. The
aim, therefore, is to examine how the beneficial effect of social
tourism can be extended more widely to individuals, companies
and society as a whole.

It

is not easy to subsume under a single name a
5.1.1
Europe-wide social tourism action: we can speak of a platform,
project, project, initiative … and although these terms do not
necessarily signify the same thing they all allude to an organised
activity, with clear objectives, of supranational European scope.
In this opinion, given that it is intended as a general proposal,
these terms are used interchangeably in the hope that the work
of this future platform will suggest a suitable name.

Nevertheless,

5.1.2
it is clear that tourism in Europe does
suffer from various shortcomings and medium-term threats,
such as:

— the serious, growing phenomenon of seasonality in the
tourist industry, both in northern and central Europe as well
as on the Mediterranean coast, where areas are deserted
during low season and adequate year-round infrastructure is
lacking;

— the emergence of numerous tourist destinations throughout
the world offering competitive and innovative products and
services. This new competition should, above all, serve to
stimulate quality and competitiveness.

There are also factors that represent clear opportunities
5.1.3
in terms of the viability of a possible European social tourism
platform or project:

— gradual increase, in absolute and relative terms, of citizens
who are not working but have pensions and a sufficient
standard of living in Europe;

— gradual increase in life expectancy of Europeans;

— increase in the average amount of leisure time that a person
has throughout their life, particularly when they are older;

— reduction in transport costs due to the boom in low-cost

airlines, which favours mobility and tourism;

— growing cultural awareness level which encourages respon-

sible, sustainable tourism;

— good and successful

experiences with social

tourism

programmes throughout Europe;

— accession of countries to the EU, which increases the market

and the possibilities and opportunities for travel.

A European social tourism platform could have various

5.2
objectives:

— under-use of human resources during low and shoulder

seasons;

— to generalise and extend existing programmes and number
of users of social tourism throughout Europe, until every
country has its own programme;

— significant growth in the working population due to emigra-
tion, which makes it necessary to increase economic activity
in order to maintain the same standard of living;

— to harness the transnational nature of existing programmes
through bilateral or multilateral cooperation programmes;

— difficulty for the tourism industry to maintain sufficient
year-round price and occupancy levels in order to maintain
profitability in the medium term;

— objective limits to the number of bedspaces that can be

utilised for the purpose;

— to establish the conditions for designing and implementing a
European social tourism platform,
in which the potential
beneficiaries are European citizens who can visit other coun-
tries in an affordable and sustainable manner;
in this
context, it would be useful to find out how many Europeans
have never visited another European country, as this group
would probably be quite numerous and would underpin the
programme;

— for development to be sustainable in the tourism industry, it
is necessary to increase the added value of each tourist area
throughout the year: increasing the quality (and, as a result,

— to promote the gradual

implementation of European-scale
social tourism in which as many states as possible partici-
pate.

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Players and groups involved in the European social
5.3
tourism platform. The groups or players that could be involved
include:

— It must be sustainable and ensure personal and social enrich-

ment both for beneficiaries and host communities.

— organisations

that
programmes in the various countries;

currently manage

social

tourism

the objectives.

— It must maintain high-quality services commensurate with

— trade union organisations and cooperatives interested in the

development of the programme;

— employers in the tourism sector (in its broadest sense) inter-
their

ested in improving the sustainable profitability of
establishments;

— national, regional and local governments interested in taking
its improvement, and the

action in the field of tourism,
personal and social development of their citizens;

— the EU and its institutions,

interested in boosting and
promoting employment, economic activity and European
citizenship; given the supranational dimension of the plat-
form, the EU institutions should also have the task of coor-
dinating and monitoring the conditions under which the
programme is developed, including heading up its establish-
ment;

— social tourism organisations, especially BITS.

5.4
Key aspects of European Social Tourism. In order for
a European social tourism platform to be socially and econom-
ically viable, it must meet the following criteria:

— It must be aimed at the most economically, territorially or
socially underprivileged groups, or groups with disabilities,
particularly those with a physical or mental disability, or
for geographical reasons
which find it difficult to travel
(such as Europe's islands). This means being responsible for
partial, fair and equal financing, irrespective of the length of
the holiday and stays, as a way of compensating for the
situation of the underprivileged in the broadest sense.

— Overall, it must be economically and socially profitable in
the short, medium and long term, at both public and private
levels.

— It must create stable, high-quality employment throughout
the year. Centralised management and an effort to maximise
stays in tourist establishments would be necessary to meet
the employment objective.

— It must be implemented during low occupancy seasons.

— It must take the form of public-private cooperation.

If these conditions were met, social tourism would doubtless
become a key component of the European tourism model.

Public-private cooperation in the project. The feasi-
5.5
bility of the programme may well be dependent on — but
could also benefit from — effective public-private cooperation
in its planning, design and management. It would seem at least
possible, although not easy, to find organisations and businesses
in Europe that are willing to undertake the development of a
European social tourism platform.

6. Effects and results of a European social tourism platform

6.1 On growth and employment. Should this platform be
implemented in its various phases, the effects on growth and
employment would be major, and would surely help to achieve
the objectives of the Lisbon summit. The IMSERSO programme
undertaken in Spain, for example, clearly shows the beneficial
impact of social
tourism on safeguarding and creating jobs
during the low season.

6.2 On the effective right to access tourism. Although,
according to the statistics available, around 40 % of the popula-
tion do not currently go on holiday,
the European social
tourism platform would aim and no doubt help to reduce this
percentage substantially and make tourism for all a reality, as
well as helping the peoples of Europe to get to know each other
better.

6.3 On the European tourism model.
In its various
opinions on tourism, the EESC has expressed its belief that it is
possible to build a European tourism model based not on legis-
lation, but on widely accepted and applied values. One of the
values that could be included in this model
is undoubtedly
universal access to tourism — tourism for all. The European
social tourism platform could significantly help to boost the
European tourism model.

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7. Contribution of

tourism, particularly

social

tourism,

to the

construction of a European identity and dimension

Every social tourism activity should incorporate a set of
8.8
sustainability and job-creation values in line with the Lisbon
strategy.

tool

to boost

7.1
In recent years it has become evident that the European
venture is not a short or easy task, and even today there are still
many uncertainties and difficulties to overcome. Social tourism
could be a powerful
information and under-
standing between individuals and solidarity between peoples. It
could help to build the Citizens' Europe not through sacrifice or
struggle, but through the enjoyment of leisure time, travel and
holidays. Young people, especially, are a group that are likely to
travel more during high season — a period when student resi-
dences are unoccupied and could temporarily play host
to
tourist initiatives similar to the Erasmus programme.

8.9
Social tourism can be highly valuable tool for the crea-
tion of a Citizens' Europe, embracing all citizens; the role of
young people is particularly important in this process.

8.10
Social tourism is an activity that displays some of the
values which can be incorporated into the European tourism
model.

7.2
Tourism could be a good way to build the Citizens'
Europe. The various groups involved, the tourism industry and
local communities could together bring their interests into line,
in a way that is pleasant and accessible to all.

8.11
All local communities throughout Europe could benefit
from social tourism, due to its contribution to the protection of
cultural and local heritage.

C. PART THREE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDA-

TIONS

8. Conclusions

A first general conclusion to be drawn from this
8.1
opinion's analysis of the situation of social tourism in Europe
today is that it is an environmentally, economically and socially
sustainable activity, and an activity of the first order in each of
these three spheres.

8.2
The economic, social, health and integration benefits that
all the users and practitioners participating in the programmes
gain are widely acknowledged and of considerable added value.

8.3
The various social tourism user groups and in particular
people with a disability and/or reduced mobility get an enor-
mous boost towards their full integration as individuals.

8.4
On the ground, social tourism in Europe is characterised
by a wide variety of practitioners, forms of development, public
objectives, financial instruments, etc. which enrich it, diversify it
and contribute to its development and evolution.

In particular we can conclude that the profitability of
tourism is compatible with and positively linked to

8.5
social
economic profitability.

It is economically feasible and socially desirable for each
8.6
tourism
European country to develop a national
programme with a diversity of approaches and management
forms.

social

It is economically feasible and socially desirable to estab-

8.7
lish a transnational European social tourism platform.

8.12
In conclusion, social tourism today is a mature activity
practiced in many of Europe's Member States, with good
management and organisational
ready to
progress towards implementation in all countries, making its
services transnational and thus increasing the quality and quan-
tity of its objectives.

structures.

is

It

9. Recommendations

The basic recommendation for potential users of social
9.1
tourism programmes is clearly to encourage them to participate
in an activity such as tourism, to which they have a right but to
which they may not have had access for a whole host of
reasons. Social
tourism clearly promotes integration, greater
knowledge and personal development, and as such participation
in its activities is desirable.

9.2 With regard to the wide range of practitioners who are
involved in managing the various social tourism programmes,
first we should acknowledge the benefits of their work, their
dedication to their organisation's mission and the care they put
into providing an accessible but high-quality service to users.
But we should also encourage them to go on improving their
products and services, investing in improvements to infrastruc-
ture, innovating with new products, especially with a transna-
tional dimension. The coordination of programmes and forma-
tion of associations between the organisations responsible are a
good way of improving and exchanging experiences.

9.3 With regard to businesses in the tourism sector, we
would recommend that they take part wholeheartedly in social
tourism activities. The values of social tourism are compatible
with good business management, competitiveness and profit-
ability, in the short term but particularly in the medium and
long term, and make it possible to secure the jobs of many
workers over the whole year.

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9.4 With regard to national, regional and local institutions
and governments, we would advise them to establish social
tourism programmes on account of
social but also
economic benefits. The additional
revenue from taxes and
contributions, the savings on unemployment benefits, are clear
incentives to provide fair subsidies to economically, socially or
physically disadvantaged groups, in the certainty that the costs
will be recouped with interest.

their

9.5
Our recommendation to the European institutions is to
bear in mind that social tourism is an important activity which
shares objectives with tourism and social policy, is an activity
which merits recognition, development, specialised technical
assistance, support and incentives (not necessarily economic).
Guidance, technical coordination, dissemination of experience
and a forum for concluding transnational agreements are
among the tasks that the Commission especially, through its
tourism unit, can provide with its own resources in order to set
up an effective European social tourism platform. The Commis-
sion's leadership in these aspects of promoting social tourism
would undoubtedly be a valuable tool for achieving the objec-
tives and monitoring initiatives.

9.6
All institutions should consider boosting their policies to
eliminate all types of barriers in communications infrastructures
and in accommodation and tourism service infrastructures. The
case of Europe's islands clearly illustrates how their geographical
situation strongly affects mobility and access to tourism for
their citizens.

Given its political, social and economic dimensions, the
9.7
European Parliament should launch initiatives to promote a
debate and resolutions encouraging social tourism in Europe.

9.8
The EESC concurs that this opinion should be known,
published and distributed as the Barcelona declaration on social
tourism in Europe, and serve as its contribution to the 2006
European Tourism Forum and this year's World Tourism Day.

D. PART FOUR: TECHNICAL AND DOCUMENTARY

REFERENCES

— Montreal Declaration: towards a humanist, social vision of

tourism, BITS, September 1996.

— Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. World Tourism Organi-

zation, Santiago de Chile, 1 October 1999.

— Report on the seminar on assistance for holidays in the
European Union, European Parliament, Strasbourg, March
2000.

— The concepts of tourism for all and social tourism in the

European Union, BITS, Bruges seminar, June 2001.

— Report on the results of the survey on Tourism for all, June

2001.

— Opinion: Socially sustainable tourism for everyone, EESC,

October 2003.

— Study on the Holidays for the Elderly programme, Spanish
institute for migration and social services (IMSERSO), Spain,
May 2004.

— European Forum on Social Tourism, BITS, Budapest, April

2005.

— Report on tourism and development, European Parliament

A6-0173/2005, May 2005.

— Report on new prospects and new challenges for sustainable
European tourism, European Parliament A6-0235/2005,
July 2005.

— Tourism for all. Action plan of the Spanish representative
committee for people with disabilities (CERMI), December
2005.

— Consultation on tourism activities and holidays for workers,

BITS, Brussels, May 2005.

— European conference on social tourism, economic growth
and employment, Government of the Balearic Islands, Palma
de Mallorca, November 2005.

— Conference on Tourism for all: State of play and existing
practices in the EU, European Commission, Directorate
General for Enterprise, Tourism Unit, January 2006.

— The different concepts of social tourism: the evolution of
supply and demand, European Commission, Directorate-
General XXIII, Tourism Unit, 1993.

— World Social Tourism Congress. Towards a tourism based
on development and solidarity. Aubagne (France), May
2006.

Brussels, 14 September 2006.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND