Communication from the Commission - Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism
Date: 2007-10-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, competitiveness, sustainable development, tourism policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 19.10.2007 
COM(2007) 621 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Recognising the crucial role that tourism plays for the EU economy, the Commission 
adopted  in  March  2006  a  renewed  Tourism  Policy1  with  the  main  objective  to 
contribute  to  "improving  the  competitiveness  of  the  European  tourism  industry  and 
creating  more  and  better  jobs  through  the  sustainable  growth  of  tourism  in  Europe 
and globally". The Commission also explicitly recognised that "making growth and 
jobs the immediate target goes hand in hand with promoting social or environmental 
objectives"  and  announced  the  preparation  of  a  European  Agenda  21  for  tourism 
drawing  on  the  results  of  the  work  of  the  Tourism  Sustainability  Group2  (TSG) 
presented in the report “Action for more sustainable European tourism”3 published in 
February 2007. 

Tourism  is  indeed  one  of  the  economic  activities  with  most  significant  potential  to 
generate future growth and employment in the EU. In its narrow definition4, tourism 
currently contributes some 4% to EU GDP,  varying from about 2% in several new 
Member States and 12% in Malta. Its indirect contribution to GDP creation is much 
higher - tourism indirectly generates more than 10% of EU GDP and provides about 
12% of all jobs.  

Tourism  is  particularly  important  when  it  comes  to  offering  job  opportunities  to 
young people, who represent twice as much of the labour force in tourism than in the 
rest  of  the  economy.5  Employment  growth  in  the  tourism  sector  has  been 
significantly higher than in the rest of the economy in recent years, making the sector 
a significant contributor to the Lisbon objective to create more and better jobs. The 
importance  of  tourism  in  the  EU  economy  is  likely  to  continue  to  increase  in  the 
coming  years  with  the  expected  annual  growth  of  tourism  demand  slightly  above 
3%6 in the coming years. 

Finding  the  right  balance  between  an  autonomous  development  of  the  destinations 
and  the  protection  of  their  environment  on  the  one  side  and  the  development  of  a 
competitive economic activity on the other side may be challenging. The work of the 
Tourism Sustainability Group however confirmed that more than any other economic 
activity  tourism  can  develop  synergies  in  close  interaction  with  environment  and 
society. That is because  the development of tourist destinations is closely linked to 

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COM(2006) 134 final of 17.03.2006 
See COM(2003) 716 final and COM(2006) 134 final for further details on its composition and role. 
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/services/tourism/tourism_sustainability_group.htm 
Traditional travel and tourism providers (hotels, restaurants, cafes, travel agencies, car rentals, airlines 
etc.) that supply goods and services directly to visitors 
See  "Promoting  young  people's  full  participation  in  education,  employment  and  society"  COM(2007) 
498 final of 05.09.2007 
World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) - TSA Regional Reports - European Union 2007 

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their  natural  environment,  cultural  distinctiveness,  social  interaction,  security  and 
wellbeing of local populations. These characteristics make tourism the driving force 
for  the  conservation  and  development  of  the  destinations  –  directly  through  raising 
awareness  and  income  support  to  them,  and  indirectly  by  providing  an  economic 
justification for the provision of such support by others.  

Global trends and  priorities change  –  more  than  ever  the  overarching  challenge  for 
the  tourism  sector  is  to  remain  competitive  while  also  embracing  sustainability 
recognising  that,  in  the  long  term,  competitiveness  depends  on  sustainability.  In 
particular,  climate  change  is  now  seen  as  a  fundamental  issue  also  requiring  the 
tourism  industry  to  reduce  its  contribution  to  greenhouse  gas  emissions  and  the 
destinations to adapt to changes in the pattern of demand and in the types of tourism 
they offer.  

The  future  of  European  tourism  relies  on  the  quality  of  the  tourist  experience  –
tourists will recognise that places that care for the environment, their employees and 
local communities are also more likely to care for them. By integrating sustainability 
concerns into their activities, tourism stakeholders will thus protect the competitive 
advantages that make Europe the most attractive tourist destination in the world – its 
intrinsic  diversity,  its  variety  of  landscapes  and  cultures.  In  addition,  addressing 
sustainability  concerns  in  a  socially  responsible  manner7  will  help  the  tourism 
industry to innovate its products and services and increase their quality and value. 

The “Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism” presented in this 
Communication  therefore  fulfils  a  long-term  commitment  taken  by  the  European 
Commission8 and further supported by the other European institutions9. It builds on 
the  Tourism  Sustainability  Group  report  and  on  the  results  of  the  ensuing  public 
consultation  exercise10.  The  agenda  represents  a  further  contribution  to  the 
implementation  of  the  renewed  Lisbon  Strategy  for  Growth  and  Jobs11  and  of  the 
renewed Sustainable Development Strategy12. 

2. 

THE AGENDA FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPETITIVE EUROPEAN TOURISM 

Creating  the  right  balance  between  the  welfare  of  tourists,  the  needs  of  the  natural 
and  cultural  environment  and  the  development  and  competitiveness  of  destinations 
and  businesses  requires  an  integrated  and  holistic  policy  approach  where  all 
stakeholders share the same objectives.  

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See  also  “Opportunity  and  Responsibility.  How  to help more  small  businesses  to  integrate  social  and 
environmental issues into what they do”, January 2007 
This commitment was first announced in COM(2001) 665 final of 13.11.2001 (Measure 8) and further 
confirmed in COM(2003) 716 final of 21.11.2003 and COM(2006) 134 final. 
Council  Resolution  of  21.05.2002  on  the  future  of  European  tourism  (2002/C  135/01),  Council 
conclusions  on  the  sustainability  of  European  tourism  (8194/05,  19.04.2005),  European  Parliament 
Resolution on new prospects and new challenges for sustainable European tourism (2004/2229 INI) 
See http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/services/tourism/index_en.htm 
COM(2005) 24 final of 2.2.2005 
Renewed  EU  Sustainable  Development  Strategy  as  adopted  by  the  European  Council  on  15/16  June 
2006 

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2.1. 

The objectives for the sustainability of European tourism and the challenges to 
be tackled 

The  existing  EU  framework  for  the  development  of  economic,  social  and 
environmental  policies  based  on  the  Partnership  for  Growth  and  Jobs  and  on  the 
Sustainable  Development  Strategy  provides  an  adequate  background  for  achieving 
the  objectives  of  this  "agenda":  deliver  economic  prosperity,  social  equity  and 
cohesion and environmental and cultural protection.13  

These  objectives  should  also  guide  European  tourism  stakeholders  in  their  policies 
and actions affecting the impact of outbound tourism from Europe and in supporting 
tourism as a tool for the sustainable development of the host countries.  

When  pursuing  these  objectives,  a  number  of  challenges14  proper  to  the  tourism 
sector will have to be addressed. These mainly include sustainable conservation and 
management of natural and cultural resources, minimising resource use and pollution 
at  tourism  destinations  including  the  production  of  waste,  managing  change  in  the 
interests  of  the  well  being  of  the  community,  reducing  the  seasonality  of  demand, 
addressing the environmental impact of transport linked to tourism, making tourism 
experiences  available  to  all  without  discrimination,  and  improving  the  quality  of 
tourism jobs – also by addressing the issue of employment of illegally staying third 
country nationals in the framework of the Commission migration policy15. Ensuring 
that tourists as well as the local communities where tourism services are offered are 
safe  and  secure  is  a  further  challenge  and  also  a  basic  condition  for  a  successful 
development of tourism.16 

These challenges are not fixed in space or in time. The priority that will be given to 
them,  the  way  they  will  be  tackled  and  the  arising  opportunities  that  can  be  seized 
may vary from place to place.  

Stakeholders must continue anticipating and keeping abreast of changes. Policies and 
actions  need  to  take  into  account  how  demand  and  supply  will  be  affected  by 
environmental  challenges  –  such  as  climate  change17  and  water  scarcity18  –, 
technology  developments  or  other  topical  political,  economic  and  social  issues. 
Therefore,  a  regular  update  of  the  set  of  challenges  will  be  done  with  the 
collaboration of all stakeholders.  

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These objectives are further elaborated in the TSG report (p. 3). 
These  key  challenges  have  been  elaborated  in  the  TSG  report  (p.  8-17)  and  are  related  to  the  seven 
challenges identified in the renewed Sustainable Development Strategy. 
See also Proposal for a Directive providing for sanctions against employers of illegally staying third-
county nationals, COM(2007)249, p.2; Impact assessment report, SEC(2007)603, p.7. 
Member  States  could  benefit  from  the  identification  and  sharing  of  best  practices  concerning  the 
protection of relevant sites and mass-events through the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure 
Protection which would allow appropriate coordination of the relevant actions. 
See also Green Paper “Adapting to climate change in Europe – Options for EU action” COM(2007) 354 
final of 29.6.2007 
See also “Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union” COM(2007) 
414 final of 18.7.2007 

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2.2. 

A framework for action 

Achieving the objectives of this agenda and tackling the above mentioned challenges 
will require a coherent action which can be supported by appropriate public policies: 
sustainable  management  of  destinations,  integration  of  sustainability  concerns  by 
businesses and sustainability awareness by tourists.  

Sustainable  destination  management  is  critical  for  tourism  development,  especially 
through effective spatial and land use planning and development control and through 
investment  decisions  on  infrastructure  and  services.  In  ensuring  that  new  tourism 
development is of a scale and type in keeping with the needs of the local community 
and environment, a sustainable management can reinforce the economic performance 
and competitive positioning of a destination in the long-term. It requires a supportive 
framework  with  the  involvement  of  all  regional  and  local  stakeholders  and  an 
efficient structure within which partnership and effective leadership are facilitated. 

A  primary  requirement  of  businesses  is  to  remain  competitive.  Actions  taken  in 
support  of  this  should  be  seen  as  part  of  the  process  of  delivering  sustainability 
which is set to represent one of the most important competitive advantages. In order 
to ensure their long term competitiveness, viability and prosperity, businesses should 
therefore better than before integrate sustainability concerns fully into their decision-
making  and  management  practices  and  tools.  In  this  process,  business  support 
services and associations have a major role to play.  

Finally, in order to achieve a tangible progress, the demand side of both the leisure 
and the business market should show stronger and more consistent signals. Tourists 
need  to  be  addressed  in  order  to  develop  and  strengthen  their  critical  capacity  to 
make  choices  in  favour  of  sustainable  development.  Sustainability  awareness  and 
ethics  can  facilitate  the  creation  of  responsible  individual  attitudes  and  practices  of 
tourists. The growing understanding of sustainability of consumers might vice versa 
influence businesses to demonstrate this concern and act accordingly. 

2.3. 

Principles for achieving a competitive and sustainable tourism 

To achieve a competitive and sustainable tourism the Commission invites all actors 
to respect the following principles19:  

•  Take  a  holistic  and  integrated  approach  -  All  the  various  impacts  of  tourism 
should  be  taken  into  account  in  its  planning  and  development.  Furthermore, 
tourism  should  be  well  balanced  and  integrated  with  a  whole  range  of  activities 
that affect society and the environment. 

•  Plan  for  the  long  term  -  Sustainable  development  is  about  taking  care  of  the 
needs of future generations as well as our own. Long term planning requires the 
ability to sustain actions over time. 

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Report of the Tourism Sustainability Group “Action for more sustainable European Tourism”, February 
2007, p. 3-4 

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•  Achieve an appropriate pace and rhythm of development - The level, pace and 
shape  of  development  should  reflect  and  respect  the  character,  resources  and 
needs of host communities and destinations.  

•  Involve  all  stakeholders  -  A  sustainable  approach  requires  widespread  and 
committed  participation  in  decision  making  and  practical  implementation  by  all 
those implicated in the outcome. 

•  Use best available knowledge - Policies and actions should be informed by the 
latest  and  best  knowledge  available.  Information  on  tourism  trends  and  impacts, 
and skills and experience, should be shared across Europe.  

•  Minimise  and  manage  risk  (the  precautionary  principle)  -  Where  there  is 
uncertainty  about  outcomes,  there  should  be  full  evaluation  and  preventative 
action should be taken to avoid damage to the environment or society. 

•  Reflect impacts in costs (user and polluter pays) - Prices should reflect the real 
costs  to  society  of  consumption  and  production  activities.  This  has  implications 
not  simply  for  pollution  but  for  charging  for  the  use  of  facilities  that  have 
significant management costs attached to them. 

•  Set and respect limits, where appropriate - The carrying capacity of individual 
sites and wider areas should be recognised, with a readiness and ability to limit, 
where and when appropriate, the amount of tourism development and volume of 
tourist flows. 

•  Undertake  continuous  monitoring  -  Sustainability  is  all  about  understanding 
impacts  and  being  alert  to  them  all  the  time,  so  that  the  necessary  changes  and 
improvements can be made. 

3. 

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER 

Several  stakeholders  have  already  recognised  the  importance  of  the  sustainability 
challenge and are working to improve their performance. Despite these efforts, more 
progress is needed. In order to achieve more significant results, existing – and future 
– initiatives should unite their efforts and act together, in a more visible and synergic 
way. 

This  “Agenda”  aims  at  strengthening  such  a  voluntary  and  continuous  process.  It 
should  be  promoted  by  all  tourism  stakeholders  in  Europe:  the  different  levels  of 
government  –  local  authorities,  destination  management  organisations,  regions, 
Member  States  –  and  the  European  Commission  itself,  businesses,  tourists  and  all 
other bodies20 that can stimulate, support and influence tourism. 

The  tourism  sector  involves  many  different  private  and  public  stakeholders  with 
decentralised  competencies.  It  is  therefore  of  major  importance  to  respect  the 
principle  of  subsidiarity  and  to  work  with  a  bottom-up  approach,  involving  those 

20 

Among others:  educational  and  research  establishments,  Trade  Unions,  consumer  associations, NGOs 
and international organisations. 

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stakeholders  who  have  the  competence  and  power  to  act  and  who  are  voluntarily 
contributing to the implementation of the Agenda.  

That is why the focus will be placed on joint action at the destination level but within 
the context of supportive national and European policies and actions. 

3.1. 

The role of stakeholders  

The  Tourism  Sustainability  Group  created  a  framework  for  action  assigning  broad 
responsibilities21  and  specific  roles22  for  the  different  groups  of  stakeholders  in 
implementing  the  agenda  vis-à-vis  the  three  above-mentioned  key  elements  – 
sustainable  destinations,  sustainable  businesses,  and  responsible  tourists  –  and  the 
identified challenges.  

Tourism  stakeholders  are  called  to  accept  these  respective  responsibilities  and  are 
invited  to  embrace  the  opportunities  that  the  sustainability  challenge  offers  as  a 
potential driver for innovation and growth.  

The  stakeholders  should  share  their  knowledge  by  communicating  the  positive  and 
negative results they achieve on the way, in order to build a stronger bridge between 
the  creation  of  knowledge,  its  dissemination  and  the  implementation  of  sustainable 
and  competitive  practices.  To  that  end,  they  should  build  a  structured  and  regular 
cooperation at the levels where they mostly operate – be it the destination, regional, 
national, European or international one – and bring sustainability into discussion in 
these cooperation structures. An example of such cooperation is the social dialogue 
between employers and employees and their representative organisations.  

Small and micro businesses play an indispensable role in European tourism, but their 
size  could  make  them  less  well  equipped  to  integrate  sustainable  development 
aspects  and  market  them  as  part  of  their  business.  Therefore  the  relevant 
intermediaries are called to convey the core messages of this Agenda to them and to 
facilitate their contribution to its implementation. 

3.2. 

The role of the European Commission 

The  Commission  recognises  its  responsibilities  for  action  and  will  implement 
initiatives  at  European  level  with  a  step-by-step  approach,  providing  tourism 
stakeholders with added value at European level, while fully respecting the division 
of competencies as laid down in the Treaty. 

This Agenda will guide the Commission future activities in the tourism domain and 
in all other policy areas which exert an impact on tourism and on its sustainability. 
To this end, the Commission will rely on the Tourism Sustainability Group.  

The  Commission  will further cooperate  with neighbouring (Eastern Europe and the 
MED  region)  and  ENP  (European  Neighbourhood  Policy)  countries  in  the  field  of 
tourism  and  will  further  support  Low-Income  and  Middle-Income  Developing 

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TSG report, p. 27-30 
TSG report, Tables 1a and 1b, p. 31-39 

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countries through the European Union foreign direct investment and joint ventures in 
the area of tourism.  

3.2.1.  Mobilising actors to produce and share knowledge 

The European Commission will aim at achieving a better visibility and recognition of 
good  practices  by  the  EU  citizens  and  society  and  at  strengthening  the  knowledge 
and  understanding  of  practices  that  link  sustainability  and  competitiveness  in  a 
mutually reinforcing way.  

The Commission is already organising conferences and undertaking research studies 
in  order  to  raise  awareness  on  challenges  such  as  facilitating  travel  for  youths, 
seniors  and  persons  with  special  needs  through  social  and  accessible  tourism 
initiatives and on the working methods which could be applied at local and regional 
level  (e.g.  a  study  on  the  impact  of  major  cultural  and  sporting  events  on  tourism-
oriented  SMEs).  In  particular,  the  tourism  learning  area  handbook  is  a  practical 
initiative that advocates the involvement of knowledge-based institutions within the 
framework of a consensus building approach aimed at improving SME performance 
and human potential in the tourism sector at destination level. 

The  Commission  will  further  seek  to  drive  the  attention  of  those  actors  who  create 
knowledge  (e.g.  universities,  research  institutes,  public  and  private  observatories) 
towards  the  challenges  for  the  sustainability  of  European  tourism.  It  will  facilitate 
their  cooperation  and  promote  the  provision  of  formal  and  non-formal  tourism 
education.  It  will  encourage  mobility  across  Europe  through  the  support  of  trans-
national training and work placement, of exchanges and the development of training 
methods, materials and contents, including the integration of sustainability principles 
in training programmes. 

Local and regional levels’ engagement will be supported through alliances between 
different  types  of  destinations  (e.g.  rural,  coastal,  mountain,  urban)  committed 
towards sustainable destination management set up by the forerunners and opened to 
the  participation  of  all  other  interested  parties.  The  European  Commission  will 
support  the  strengthening  or  the  creation  of  platforms  –  by  also  using  new 
technologies – where lessons drawn by good and bad practices can be exchanged and 
where collaboration between tourism and other related sectors can be improved. The 
promotion  of  best  practices  exchange  towards  sustainable  destination  management 
(e.g. addressing the issue of seasonality and the prolongation of the tourism season) 
can contribute in a significant way to the competitiveness of the tourist destinations. 
These  platforms  could  allow  a  more  specific  approach  reflecting  the  territorial  and 
economic characteristics of destinations. 

The annual European Tourism Forum also provides a platform where all stakeholders 
can  exchange  views  and  strengthen  their  collaboration  on  the  issues  related  to  the 
links between sustainability and competitiveness of European tourism.  

In order to strengthen the collaboration with and among Member States, their current 
annual reporting through the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC)23 will be used to 

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Council Decision 86/664/EEC of 22 December 1986 

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facilitate  the  exchange  and  the  dissemination  of  information  also  about  how  their 
policies and actions safeguard the sustainability of tourism. 

The need to know better and faster how tourism evolves in Europe can be addressed 
partly  through  the  collection  and  provision  of  statistical  and  geographic  data24  and 
partly through the activity of existing or new observatories. Such information could 
facilitate the monitoring of the key challenges, especially those important for SMEs 
which are linked to employment and seasonality. 

Finally,  the  Commission  invites  International  Organisations  (UNWTO,  UNEP, 
UNESCO,  etc.)  to  contribute  to  this  process  by  identifying  synergies  between  their 
field of activities and the European Agenda. 

3.2.2.  Promoting destinations of excellence 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  implement  the  “European  Destinations  of 
Excellence” (EDEN) pilot project. EDEN promotes emerging European destinations 
and  offers  support  to  those  where  the  development  in  tourism  is  being  pursued  in 
such a way as to ensure social, cultural and environmental sustainability. Every year 
a  different  theme  for  the  award  is  selected.  The  Commission  will  facilitate  the 
creation  of  networks  between  awarded  destinations,  with  the  aim  of  facilitating  the 
exchange of good practices at European level and encouraging other destinations to 
adopt similar sustainable tourist development models.  

The  Commission  will  also  reinforce  the  image  and  the  perception  of  Europe  as  a 
tourist  destination  characterised  by  high  quality  and  sustainability.  To  this  end,  the 
Commission  will  work  with  the  European  Travel  Commission  and  the  National 
Tourism  Organisations  to  devise  a  proper  strategy  that  will  involve  also  the  use  of 
the European Destination Tourism Portal25.  

3.2.3.  Mobilising the EU financial instruments  

The  European  Commission  acknowledges  the  need  of  stakeholders  to  financial  aid 
with  a  view  to  foster  the  implementation  of  the  Agenda.  The  opportunities  at 
European  level  are  already  there  to  be  seized,  such  as  the  possibility  for  Member 
States  and  all  Regions  to  finance  tourist  projects  through  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund.  Sustainable  and  innovative  tourism  practices  are  already 
highlighted  as  priority  criteria  in  the  different  objectives  of  the  various  European 
financial  instruments  –  in  particular  the  Cohesion  Policy  funds  (the  European 
Regional  Development  Fund  and  the  European  Social  Fund),  the  European 
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the European Fisheries Fund, the 7th EC 
Framework  Programme 
and 
Demonstration activities (where the key priority on climate change includes impacts 
on tourism) – and in the ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ programme, through the introduction of 
a  specific  measure  for  apprentices  and  young  persons  in  vocational  training  and  a 
project  currently  underway,  analysing  and  developing  qualifications  in  the  sector. 

for  Research,  Technological  Development 

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For  instance  through  the  revision  of  the  Tourism  Statistics  directive  and/or  through  GMES  (Global 
Monitoring  of  Environment  and  Security)  delivering  Europe-wide  uniform  geospatial  information 
services. 
www.visiteurope.com 

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The  ‘Competitiveness  and  Innovation  Framework  Programme’  (CIP)  also  supports 
the competitiveness of EU enterprises and especially SMEs.26 The Commission will 
facilitate the spreading of knowledge on how these existing EU financial instruments 
have been and can be used to this end by the different tourism stakeholders. 

3.2.4.  Mainstreaming sustainability and competitiveness in Commission policies  

Several  existing  European  policies  and  actions  can  have  a  strong  influence  on 
tourism and its sustainability and can make an important contribution in tackling the 
key  challenges.  General  policies  such  as  environment,  transport,  employment  or 
research  can  have  different  impacts  on  diverse  territories  because  of  their  specific 
characteristics. The Commission is taking and will take into consideration the needs 
of these different territories. 

The substantial response from stakeholders to the consultation process on the future 
EU  Maritime  Policy  has  demonstrated  their  interest  and  support  for  action  at  EU 
level  towards  more  sustainable  and  competitive  maritime  and  coastal  tourism.  In 
response  to  their  concerns,  the  integrated  approach  of  the  Maritime  Policy  will 
provide  the  basis  for  elaborating  further  action  to  enhance  sustainability  and 
competitiveness in the sector. As a first step, the Commission will focus its attention 
on the coastal tourism sector by assessing the effects of fast growing segments such 
as  cruise  tourism,  examining  the  interlinkages  between  the  cruise  industry,  port 
facilities,  marinas  and  other  maritime  industries,  and  of  issues  concerning 
competition between land and maritime uses in coastal environment. 

Mountain areas need prospective policies of rural development that integrate both the 
conservation  requirements  of  this  particular  natural  environment  as  well  as  the 
sustained  welfare  of  its  inhabitants.27  The  Commission  recognises  the  need  to 
preserve the rich natural heritage of many of these vulnerable mountain spaces. 

Rural areas are investing in tourism  in order to diversify their economies, which is 
necessary  for  growth,  employment  and  sustainable  development.  They  offer  real 
opportunities in terms of their attractiveness as a place in which to live and work, and 
their  role  as  a  reservoir  of  natural  resources  and  highly  valued  landscapes.  This 
implies  the  need  to  ensure  coherence  and  synergies  in  Community  policies  and  to 
preserve the environment and safeguard the countryside. 

Tourism  can  also  contribute  to  the  sustainable  development  of  urban  areas  by 
improving  business  competitiveness,  meeting  social  needs  and  preserving  the 
cultural  and  natural  environment.  If  urban  destinations  are  to  be  successful  in  all 
these  areas,  they  must  take  a  global  approach  that  is  based  on  the  principles  of 
sustainable  development  and  is  recognised  and  supported  by  public  policies  at  all 
levels, including the European level. 

26 
27 

See also COM(2006) 134 final, p. 6-7 
The  Protocol  on  Tourism  to  the  Alpine  Convention  is  an  example  of  framework  instrument  that  can 
stimulate and coordinate the contribution of stakeholders at regional and local level.  

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
                                                 
4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

This  Communication  is  the  official  launching  and  endorsement  of  a  medium-long 
term  Agenda  in  which  all  stakeholders  should  undertake  the  necessary  steps  to 
strengthen  the  contribution  of  sustainable  practices  to  facilitate  the  competitiveness 
of Europe as the most attractive tourism destination. 

The  European  Commission  counts  on  political  support  to  this  initiative  from  the 
other EU institutions and will present its evaluation of the progress made in 2011. 

EN 

11 

   EN