REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the European Tourism Agenda 2030
Date: 2025-12-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU action, application of EU law, circular economy, digital transformation, innovation, professional qualifications, service, tourism, twin transition, vocational training

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.12.2025  COM(2025) 763 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the European Tourism Agenda 2030  
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. 

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2 

II.  Priority Area 1: Enabling Policy Framework And Governance ................................ 3 

III.  Priority Area 2: Green Transition ................................................................................ 6 

IV.  Priority Area 3: Digital Transition................................................................................ 9 

V.  Priority Area 4: Resilience And Inclusion .................................................................. 12 

VI.  Priority Area 5: Skills And Support For Transition ................................................. 14 

VII. Conclusions And Recommendations ........................................................................... 20 

Annex .................................................................................................................................... 23 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I. 

INTRODUCTION  

The  European  Agenda  for  Tourism  2030,  together  with  its  multi-annual  work  programme 
(hereafter the “Agenda”), was adopted by the Council in its Conclusions of 1 December 2022. 
The Council invited the Commission to follow up on the implementation of the Agenda and 
report to the Council at least every three years. This is the first report on the implementation 
of the Agenda, including progress on implementing the actions contained in its multi-annual 
work programme. 

The Agenda is closely linked to the Transition Pathway for Tourism, which was co-created 
with  tourism  stakeholders,  including  national,  regional  and  local  authorities,  destination 
management  organisations  (DMOs),  social  partners,  industry,  and  academia,  and  was 
published on 4 February 2022. Two annual stocktaking reports on progress made towards the 
27  priority  actions  identified  in  the  Transition  Pathway  for  Tourism  for  the  Commission, 
Member  States  and  tourism  stakeholders  were  published  in  January  2024  and  May  2025, 
respectively. The Commission Work Programme1 announces a new EU Sustainable Tourism 
Strategy for the second quarter of 2026, calling for greater efforts across the EU to promote a 
competitive, sustainable and resilient tourism sector. 

The Agenda encompasses five priority areas for the European tourism ecosystem: the green 
transition,  digital  transition,  resilience  and  inclusion,  skills  and  support,  and  the  enabling 
policy framework and governance, which is in line with the Transition Pathway for Tourism. 
It is important to note, however, that not all 27 pathway topics are covered in the Agenda, 
which combines actions under 16 topics.  Several actions are defined under each priority, such 
as  diversifying  tourism  services  across  seasons  and  locations,  reducing  environmental 
footprint and supporting the accessibility of tourism. Another key objective of the Agenda is 
to  meet  the skills  demand in  the  tourism  ecosystem  by  implementing  the  EU  Pact  for 
Skills initiative, a shared engagement model for skills development. 

In  the  three  years  since  the  Council  conclusions  on  the  Agenda,  the  European  tourism 
landscape has evolved, as well as since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the tourism sector 
was severely impacted. The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) has played a key role in 
helping the tourism sector recover, with 126 investments across 19 Member States. Around 
EUR 13 billion have been invested for tourism, culture, and creative industries, enhancing 
innovation, digitalisation, and destination resilience. Overall, the tourism sector has continued 
to  recover  and  grow  in  most  regions.  However,  geopolitical  tensions,  climate  events  and 
unbalanced tourism in some destinations have impacted development, and, in some cases, the 
well-being of residents. Workforce shortages have also persisted in some sectors, particularly 
in hospitality. 

Progress  has  been  made  in  all  priority  areas  identified  in  the  multi-annual  work 
programme by nearly all Member States. An overall assessment of the varied progress by 
each priority area is presented under dedicated sections in this report. This analysis is based 
on an in-depth study ‘Stock-taking of the co-implementation of the Transition pathway for 

1 2026 Commission work programme and annexes - European Commission 

2 

 
 
 
Tourism and EU Agenda 2030’2 carried out on behalf of the Commission from January to 
October 2025. The assessment is based on the number of measures or initiatives that Member 
States have either implemented or plan to implement by 2030. These measures were identified 
through a combination of publicly available sources, as well as qualitative insights gathered 
from surveys, focus groups, and interviews with a wide representation of stakeholders. 

Together  with  Member  States,  the  Commission  and  tourism  stakeholders  have  also  made 
progress towards these actions as evidenced in the 2024 stocktaking report on the Transition 
Pathway for Tourism. Certain actions identified in the Transition Pathway and the Agenda 
that have been considered as having made the most progress will be considered as completed 
or will be consolidated with other actions. Nevertheless, some priority areas have seen limited 
or moderate progress and should be remain as priorities in order to develop a more sustainable 
and competitive EU tourism sector. These identified actions and level of their progress are 
laid out in the Annex to this report. 

II. 

PRIORITY  AREA 
GOVERNANCE  

1:  ENABLING  POLICY  FRAMEWORK  AND 

In total, four key topics  are defined in the Agenda under “Enabling  policy framework and 
governance” - fair measures for short-term rentals (STR), statistics and indicators for tourism, 
comprehensive  tourism  strategies  development  or  update,  collaborative  and  databased 
destination management. 

Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

Fair measures for 
short-term rentals 
(STR) 

A transparent EU STR market, 
promoting competition and 
consumer protection, creating 
opportunities and contributing to 
sustainable tourism. 

Statistics and 
indicators for 
tourism 

Improving the availability and 
coverage of tourism statistics to 
consider the economic, social, 
cultural and environmental impacts 
of tourism. Improving access to 
private and destination-level data 
for producing official statistics on 
tourism, respecting data protection 
rules and legitimate commercial 
interests. 

EU-level common framework for 
short-term. 

Revised EU framework for tourism 
statistics which includes indicators 
on the economic, environmental 
and social impacts of tourism by 
2030. EU Tourism Dashboard 
publicly offering indicators on the 
green and digital transition and 
socio-economic resilience at 
national, regional and local levels. 

Member States and the 
Commission to strengthen the EU 
framework for short-term rentals to 
enhance transparency, make it 
fairer and improve market access. 
Member States to support regional 
and local authorities. 

European Statistical System actors 
to revise harmonised data 
collection rules on tourism 
statistics. Tourism industry, 
regional and local authorities and 
destination management 
organisations (DMOs) to consider 
developing data collection and 
sharing mechanisms that can also 
benefit official tourism statistics 
aggregation. The Commission to 
implement the EU Tourism 
Dashboard to support the 
following-up of environmental, 
digital and socio-economic aspects 
of tourism. 

2 https://transport.ec.europa.eu/tourism/statistics-reports-and-studies/tourism-studies-and-reports_en, hereafter 
referred to as “the Study” 

3 

 
 
 
Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

Comprehensive 
tourism strategies 
development or 
update 

Strategic approach to tourism at 
national, regional and local levels 
to consider the economic, 
environmental, cultural and social 
sustainability of tourism. 

The Commission and Member 
States to facilitate sharing of 
knowledge and best practices. 

Best practice exchange. Member 
States or their key tourism regions 
to have examples of 
comprehensive tourism strategies 
by 2025. 

Collaborative and 
databased 
destination 
management 

Expanding the scope of tourism 
destination management 
organisations to collaborative and 
data-based decision-making 
involving all stakeholders, 
including local residents. 

The Commission to provide awards 
for smart and sustainable 
destination management. The 
Commission and Member States to 
support destinations in developing 
their local governance models. 

Destination awards. Study by the 
Commission on DMO governance 
models in the EU; community of 
practice and toolbox for destination 
management by 2023. 

In comparison to the other priority areas, overall progress under the priority area of 'Enabling 
policy framework and governance' remains limited across the EU, with twelve Member States 
achieving  a  'moderate  progress'  ranking,  while  fifteen  Member  States  are  categorised  as 
achieving 'limited progress.’ The Commission has made progress across the four key topics, 
notably with the adoption of its proposal on the collection and exchange of data on short-term 
rental  services  which  was  subsequently  adopted  by  the  co-legislators  on  24  April  20243, 
facilitating  tourism  statistics  collection  through  Tourism  Satellite  Accounts  (TSA)  and 
through support to the D3Hub. More than 130 pledges4 have been received by stakeholders 
on the topics related to enabling policy framework and governance.   

The comparatively limited progress in this area suggests that many Member States have yet 
to establish comprehensive governance structures or policy frameworks at national, regional 
and  local  level  that  can  effectively  support  the  transition  towards  more  sustainable  and 
resilient tourism systems. This includes gaps in long-term strategic planning, statistics and 
indicators  in  tourism,  as  well  as  insufficient  adoption  of  collaborative  and  data-driven 
destination management practices. 

The action as regards measures for short-term rentals (STRs) could be considered ongoing, 
as the above-mentioned Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 has been adopted and will apply as of 20 
May 2026.5. The research conducted demonstrates that sixteen Member States have measures 
in place regarding STR legislation, featuring varying levels of enforcement and transparency. 
Nine Member States register short-term rental properties in a national database, five Member 
States impose or increase taxes on rentals and four cities temporarily limit new licenses in 
highly-populated areas. STRs and unbalanced tourism in some destinations are being reflected 
in  the  ongoing  efforts  to  address  a  larger  crisis  of  affordable  housing  at  EU  level.  An 
additional  initiative  on  STRs  is  currently  planned  for  the  second  quarter  of  2026.  The 
Commission has launched a dialogue on affordable housing, including a public consultation 

3 Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on data collection 
and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724. 
4  Pledges  are  collected  on  a  voluntary  basis  from  all  types  of  tourism  stakeholders  towards  actions  in  the 
Transition pathway for Tourism and although can be considered indicators of progress, they do not fully reflect 
the current situation.  
5 The Member States concerned will have to adopt the necessary implementing measures by that date. 

4 

 
 
 
 
and the Housing Advisory Board, which will inform the European Affordable Housing Plan 
to be published by the end of 2025.   s 

As regards statistics and indicators for tourism, statistics and measurements for tourism are 
considered a priority in fifteen Member States and overall, Member States have advanced in 
enhancing  tourism  statistics  through  improved  data  collection  methods.  Thirteen  Member 
States have specific measures in place and twelve have published shareable good practices. A 
total  of seven national  actors have made pledges under this topic. Despite this progress,  it 
remains clear that the availability and coverage of tourism statistics to consider the economic, 
social, cultural and environmental impacts of tourism must be improved. The planned review 
of the EU framework for tourism statistics will be a key element for improving the collection 
of data.   

During the preparation of the Transition Pathway and Agenda, stakeholders highlighted the 
importance of well-designed and data-supported strategies at all appropriate levels (national, 
regional,  local).  While  this  is  a  competence  of  Member  States  or  regions  depending  on 
national governance structures, effective sharing of good practice plays a key role. As regards 
comprehensive  tourism  strategies  for  development  or  update,  research  shows  that  all 
Member States have a national tourism strategy in place and more than half are aligned with 
the Agenda. Member States, regions and municipalities have also used the opportunities under 
EU funding, including Cohesion Policy6, to address identified socioeconomic and territorial 
challenges  related  to  tourism,  strengthen  the  sector’s  resilience  and  sustainability,  and 
contribute the implementation of national, regional, local and cross-border tourism strategies, 
in line with the Transition Pathway for Tourism. The  Urban Agenda for the EU Thematic 
Partnership on Sustainable Tourism, launched in 2022, gathers twenty-nine members from all 
levels  of  governance  and  types  of  stakeholders,  including  cities,  to  discuss  and  design 
solutions to urban tourism from a multi-stakeholder and multi-level perspective. Its Action 
Plan  covers  a  wide  range  of  topics  such  as  destination  resilience  and  climate  adaptation, 
development of digital skills for the sector, diversification of tourism offers, accessibility of 
destinations, and the protection of local retail. National, regional and local tourism strategies 
should  continue  to  take  into  account  actions  in  the  Agenda  and  be  published  by  Member 
States, also on the EU Tourism Platform. National and regional strategies will continue to 
play an important role in European tourism policy and strategies.  

As regards collaborative and databased destination management, the Agenda calls on the 
Commission and Member States to support destinations in developing their local governance 
models. The Commission continues to organise annual competitions for the European Capital 
of  Smart  Tourism  (for  larger  destinations)  and  European  Green  Pioneer  (for  smaller 
destinations), inviting them to showcase achievements in smart and sustainable destination 
management.  These  achievements  rely  on  collaborative  and  data-based  elements  and 
networking with other destinations, thereby serving as inspiration and catalyst for innovation. 

6 Direct support of EUR 4.1 billion from the European Regional Development Fund (EUR 5.4 billion including 
national contributions) across 160 programmes. 

5 

 
 
 
Member States exhibit varied progress on this topic, but gaps remain in standardisation and 
sustainability.  

Austria: examples of planning 

•  Plan  T  –  Master  Plan  for  Tourism  measures:  this  document  contains  a  measure  to 
enable  fair  competition  for  accommodation  providers.  The  goal  of  the  measure  is  the 
creation  of  a  modern  regulatory  and  organisational  framework,  which  guarantees  fair 
competition  for  this  and  for  all  future  developments  in  this  direction.  There  is  no  set 
timeline for implementing these measures. 

•  Visitor Economy Strategy 2025 Vienna: this city-level strategy creates a vision for the 
future that has beneficial and sustainable growth of the destination at its heart, balancing 
the needs of visitors and residents.  

Considering  the  modest  and  varied  levels  of  progress  made  in  this  area  overall,  some 
improvements could be made to improve data collection and make indicators more robust. 
Structured  dialogue  between  national,  regional  and  local  authorities  could  foster  better 
communication and collaborations. Support to DMOs to evolve into comprehensive managers 
of sustainable tourism could be considered. 

III. 

PRIORITY AREA 2: GREEN TRANSITION  

In  total,  three  key  topics  are  defined  in  the  Agenda  under  “Green  transition”  -  improving 
circularity  of  tourism  services,  supporting  the  green  transition  of  tourism  companies  and 
SMEs, research and innovation projects and pilots on circular and sustainable tourism. 

Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

Improving 
circularity of 
tourism services   

Supporting the 
green transition 
of tourism 
companies and 
SMEs   

the 

environmental 
Reducing 
footprint 
services 
(food/general  waste,  water/energy 
efficiency and pollution). 

tourism 

of 

for 

Encouraging  tourism  companies  to 
take  up  greener  practices  by 
increasing 
green 
demand 
services  by  public  actors  and 
promoting  schemes  which  support 
tracking 
the 
and 
environmental 
reduction 
footprint.  Providing  support  for 
SMEs to engage in environmentally 
friendly  practices  to  ensure  that  it 
does not become a barrier to trade. 

assessment, 

of 

to 

reduce 

The  Commission  and  Member 
States to provide support to tourism 
services 
their 
environmental footprint in line with 
the  EU  objectives  and  support  the 
improvement  of  waste  and  water 
management 
sanitation 
capacity. 

and 

The  Commission  and  Member 
States  to  use  relevant  green  public 
procurement  (GPP)  criteria  where 
applicable when procuring tourism-
related services (events, hospitality, 
travel).  The  Commission,  Member 
States  and  other  relevant  levels  of 
public authorities to provide support 
to 
in 
to 
environmentally  friendly  practices 
and  schemes,  such  as  EMAS,  EU 
Ecolabel, other EN ISO 14024 type 
I ecolabels or equivalent third-party 
verified voluntary labels. 

engage 

SMEs 

Tourism/hospitality organisations to 
have reduced waste in line with the 
Waste Directive 2008/98/EC. 

Increased  use  of  relevant  GPP 
tourism 
in  purchasing 
criteria 
increased 
ecosystem 
services; 
EMAS-registered 
number 
of 
tourism  organisations; 
increased 
number  of  EU  Ecolabel  tourism 
services or accommodation awarded 
with  other  EN  ISO  14024  type  I 
ecolabels  or  equivalent  voluntary 
labels. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

on 

public-private 
research 

co-
Supporting 
operation 
and 
innovation projects and pilots which 
develop  models  and  transferable 
practices for sustainable tourism.  

Research and 
innovation 
projects and 
pilots on circular 
and sustainable 
tourism 

Validated  and  transferable  circular 
and sustainable tourism models; best 
practices  on  destination  pilots  with 
holistic circular models. 

The  Commission  and  Member 
States to support the development of 
models  and  transferable  practices 
for  sustainable tourism;  DMOs  and 
relevant  levels of public  authorities 
to  support  establishing  large-scale 
pilots on sustainable tourism across 
the EU, including on islands and in 
outermost regions. 

The progress in this priority area is generally moderate to significant, with nine EU Member 
States  achieving  a  'significant  progress'  ranking,  while  sixteen  Member  States  achieved 
'moderate progress', and only two Member States demonstrated 'limited progress'.  

Under the green transition, the most notable progress in the last years has been the adoption 
of numerous legislative initiatives proposed by the Commission under the European Green 
Deal, such as the e.g. the Nature Restoration Regulation, Net-Zero Industry Act, Directive on 
the Energy Performance of Buildings, Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, and the 
Corporate  Due  Diligence  Directive.  As  required  under  the  Climate  Law,  the  Commission 
recommended in February 2024 an additional intermediate target of 90% less emissions by 
2040. 

More than 110 pledges have been made by stakeholders towards the three green transition 
topic  areas  in  the  Agenda,  demonstrating  engagement  by  numerous  tourism  actors  with 
sustainability initiatives.  

In contrast to the first priority area, Member States have shown moderate progress under the 
green transition topics through a relatively higher number of initiatives and policy actions. 
This  indicates  a  stronger  level  of  engagement  and  investment  by  Member  States  in  this 
domain. 

As regards improving circularity of tourism services, water resilience in particular is a topic 
that has gained importance in the EU agenda. The challenges resulting from climate change, 
extreme  weather  conditions,  and  natural  disasters  affect  all  Europeans  and  all  economic 
sectors, including tourism. Water scarcity affects 30% of Europeans and 20% of land each 
year. 70% of Europeans have expressed concern about water pollution and water scarcity, and 
yet  almost  half  of  them  do  not  feel  well  informed  about  water-related  problems  in  their 
country. Several Member States consider the circularity of the tourism industry a challenge 
(related to waste/water/pollution and also to food services), while even more Member States 
consider improving waste and water management and reducing pollution of tourism services 
a  priority.  A  total  of  thirteen  Member  States  have  measures  in  place  to  reduce  the 
environmental footprint of food services, and ten have measures to improve waste and water 
management of tourism services. Regions are also increasingly adopting innovative projects 
to  enhance  circularity  in  the  tourism  sector  by  focusing  on  waste  management,  resource 
efficiency and circular economy models. Further support to tourism services to reduce their 

7 

 
 
 
environmental footprint in line with EU objectives and support the improvement of waste and 
water management and sanitation capacity will be needed. 

In terms of supporting the green transition of tourism companies and SMEs, the take-up 
of EMAS and the EU Eco-label schemes by tourism enterprises has been steadily increasing 
over the past years. Member States are fostering greener tourism by encouraging eco-labels 
and  supporting  SMEs  in  environmental  assessment  and  footprint  reduction.  Nevertheless, 
more could be done by both the Commission and Member States to promote the use of these 
schemes  at  national,  regional  and  local  levels.  It  is  further  expected  that  the  entering  into 
application of the Directive ‘Empowering consumers for the green transition’ in September 
2026 and the eventual adoption of the Directive on Green Claims by the co-legislators will 
further boost the uptake and consumer awareness of reliable labels and sustainability schemes, 
among  them  the  EU  Ecolabel,  EMAS  and  Product  Environmental  Footprint  (PEF).  Many 
Member  States  consider  helping  SMEs  engage  in  environmentally  friendly  practices  and 
using  green  public  procurement  criteria  for  procuring  tourism-related  services  (travel, 
hospitality,  catering)  as  challenging,  even  though  they  are  both  considered  a  priority. 
However,  approximately  half  of  the  Member  States  have  measures  to  support  SMEs.  It  is 
therefore  clear  that  the  green  transition  of  tourism  companies,  in  particular  SMEs,  should 
continue to be a priority.  

The objective of research and innovation projects and pilots on circular and sustainable 
tourism is clear – both the Commission and Member States should support the development 
of models and transferable practices for sustainable tourism through dedicated projects. At 
regional and local levels, DMOs should also continue to support such projects including on 
islands  and  in  outermost  regions.  Under  the  2021-2027  Horizon  Europe  framework 
programme,  there  were  several  relevant  calls  for  proposals  that  could  support  sustainable 
tourism development: systemic circular solutions for a sustainable tourism, cultural heritage 
and  cultural  and  creative  industries,  including  the  new  European  Bauhaus  and  Food  2030 
projects7  for  urban  food  system  transformation.  Based  on  the  CORDIS  database,  by 
September 2025, R&I funding under H2020/Horizon Europe had been granted to more than 
300  projects  with  links  to  tourism,  sustainability,  climate  and  circularity.  These  projects 
directly address tourism in urban/peri-urban areas, as for instance the H2020 SmartCulTour 
focusing  on  Smart  Cultural  Tourism;  the  Horizon  Europe  VERNE  as  one-stop-shop  for 
circular  tourism  and  energy;  the  pilot  projects  under  the  Horizon  Europe  Mission  of  the 
Climate  Neutral  and  Smart  Cities  and  the  100  Mission  cities  embedded  tourism-relevant 
elements in their climate and smart plans of their Climate City Contracts; the Horizon Europe 
Partnership “Drive Urban Transition for a Sustainable Future” also addressed circular cities 
and tourism aspects under its pillar of circular economy. 

About  half  of  Member  States  consider  the  development  of  transferable  practices  or 
establishing pilots on circular and sustainable tourism as a priority, while just as many have 
established specific measures. The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) should be 
used  as  a  means  for  knowledge  transfer  and  upscaling  Implementing  validated  and 
transferable circular and sustainable tourism models and best practices on sustainable tourism 
will  continue  to  be  important  for  the  tourism  ecosystem.  In  particular,  guiding  tourism 

7 Food 2030 - Research and innovation - European Commission 

8 

 
 
 
businesses and destinations on EU legislative requirements to achieve climate goals, building 
up their skills and capacity in green transition efforts, will be essential. 

Considering that overall the EU has made important progress in advancing the green transition 
in tourism, the adoption of circular economy models and resource-efficient practices should 
be accelerated in order to deliver concrete benefits for local communities, enhancing social 
sustainability. By empowering local actors and intermediaries, strengthening partnerships for 
sustainable sourcing, deepening knowledge exchange and replication, and by piloting circular 
economy clusters, these actions will help reduce the environmental footprint of tourism, foster 
innovation and strengthen competitiveness, while enhancing social sustainability and benefits 
to  local  communities.  In  light  of  the  findings  in  the  European  Environmental  Agency’s 
‘Europe’s environment 2025’ report, actions in this area are becoming even more important 
for  tourism,  considering  that  environmental  degradation  poses  a  direct  threat  to  Europe’s 
competitiveness. 

IV. 

PRIORITY AREA 3: DIGITAL TRANSITION  

In total, three key topics are defined under the “Digital transition” priority area - digitalisation 
of tourism SMEs, public data sharing for encouraging innovative tourism services, research 
and innovation projects and pilots on digital tools and services in tourism. 

Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

Digitalisation of 
tourism SMEs   

SMEs 
for 
internal 

Effective  use  of  digital  tools  by 
and 
tourism 
resource 
microenterprises 
work 
management, 
processes, 
provision, 
service 
marketing,  communication  with 
clients and supply chains and new 
service development. 

tourism  SMEs  of 

The Commission, Member States, 
other  relevant  public  authorities 
and  DMOs  to  raise  awareness 
among 
the 
benefits  of  digitalisation  and  to 
support  tourism  SMEs  and  start-
ups 
digitalisation 
programmes;  the  Commission  to 
collect and share best practices on 
digital  tools  and  practices  for 
tourism. 

through 

Tourism  SMEs  to  have  reached  a 
basic  level  of  digital  intensity  by 
2030  in  line  with  the  Digital 
Compass  objectives;  searchable 
collection  on  transferable  digital 
tools  and  practices  for  tourism 
published  by  the  Commission  by 
Enterprise 
European 
2023; 
Network  advisory  services 
to 
support tourism SMEs. 

Public data sharing 
for encouraging 
innovative tourism 
services  

Research and 
innovation projects 
and pilots on digital 
tools and services in 
tourism  

Encouraging  and  participating  in 
tourism-relevant  data  sharing  to 
support innovative services. 

and 

local 
regional 
National, 
authorities  and  DMOs  to  publish 
open  datasets  of  relevance  for 
tourism  services  -  data  on  public 
transport, museum collections and 
visitors, etc. 

Examples  of  open  public  datasets 
in  significant  tourism  regions  by 
2025,  which  can  be  used 
in 
developing 
tourism-related 
services 

public-private 
Supporting 
cooperation  on 
research  and 
innovation projects and pilots that 
and 
develop 
sustainable use of digital tools and 
practices in tourism. 

innovative 

the 

other 

relevant 

The  Commission,  Member  States 
and 
public 
authorities  to  support  data-driven 
destination 
sustainable 
management  development.  The 
Commission and Member States to 
tourism 
innovative 
support 
services 
advanced 
using 
(virtual/augmented 
technologies 
reality,  AI)  and  digital  and 
digitised cultural heritage. 

Best practices to monitor carrying 
capacity  and  well-being  of  local 
residents  by  2025;  examples  of 
and 
innovative 
partnerships  to  provide  tourism 
experiences 
virtual, 
extended  and  augmented  reality, 
big data and AI by 2025. 

services 

through 

9 

 
 
 
Progress in this priority area is also generally moderate, with five Member States achieving 
'significant  progress'”,  while  17  Member  States  achieved  'moderate  progress'  and  five 
Member States demonstrated 'limited progress.' 

The Commission is supporting the development of innovative digital tourism SMEs through 
the Single Market Programme, European Innovation Council funding, EU digital innovation 
hubs and the Enterprise Europe Network. Horizon Europe also supports digital development 
projects in the tourism sector to enhance digital innovation in hundreds of SMEs. Eighty-six 
pledges have been made by stakeholders towards the three green transition topic areas in the 
Agenda,  demonstrating  engagement  by  numerous  tourism  actors  with  digitalisation 
initiatives. 

In contrast to the first priority area, Member States have also shown moderate progress under 
the  digital  transition  topics  through  a  relatively  higher  number  of  initiatives  and  policy 
actions. This indicates a stronger level of engagement and investment by Member States in 
this  area.  The  digital  transition  of  the  European  tourism  ecosystem  continues  to  be  a  key 
enabler for more sustainable and resilient tourism practices. 

As regards the digitalisation of tourism SMEs, in its analysis of digital technology start-ups 
across EU sectors, the European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems (EMI)  analytical report 
(2024 ed.) revealed an increase in the uptake of all digital technologies except big data, which 
decreased  from  13.6%  in  2023  to  11.5%  in  2024.  The  largest  increase  is  seen  in  cloud 
technologies and artificial intelligence, the latter increasing by nearly 15% and the Internet of 
Things,  which  increased  by  almost  10%.  The  EMI  survey  of  tourism  SMEs  showed  that 
advanced technologies are already being taken up in innovative companies and have increased 
compared to just two years ago: 37% were using cloud technologies up from 25%, 11.5% 
were using big data and 23% had adopted artificial intelligence up from 8%. More than half 
the  number  of  Member  States  considered  it  a  priority  to  support  developing  innovative, 
personalised  tourism  services  and/or  data-driven  destination  management,  and  nearly  half 
have  introduced  specific  measures  to  tackle  these  issues.  As  the  Commission  has  also 
delivered on a published database of searchable digital tools and practices for tourism, it can 
be  considered  that  substantial  progress  has  been  made  on  this  particular  key  topic.  The 
Commission also continues to provide cascade funding to organisations and clusters directly 
supporting  SMEs  under  the  Single  Market  Programme  (SMP).  Nevertheless,  continued 
support for digital transition initiatives remains essential, particularly in ensuring equitable 
access to digital tools and for fostering innovation among tourism SMEs. 

On public data sharing to encourage innovative tourism services, significant progress has 
been  made  by  the  Commission  and  Member  States’  public  authorities.  Firstly,  the 
Commission published in July 2023 a Communication on a common European data space for 
tourism, outlining key considerations and introducing a data sharing test case, and proposing 
governance  options  such  as  a  European  Digital  Infrastructure  Consortium  (EDIC).  Four 
Member States  voluntarily participated in  this data sharing test case, and  discussions  have 
continued  towards  setting  up  an  EDIC.  Additionally,  DMOs  and  regional  administrations 
continue  to  develop  platforms  and  websites  to  showcase  reliable  information  on  tourism 
services in their locality, guiding tourism companies on making their services visible.  The 
Commission  also  set  up  the  D3Hub  EU  Competence  Centre  funded  by  the  SMP  COSME 
programme,  which  supports  destination  management  organisations  (DMOs)  in  data 
management and digitalisation. Data is a key driver for innovation and competitiveness, so 
data access, data management and data sharing should remain priorities for the future: the 

10 

 
 
 
 
leadership  role of the EU could  be further investigated in  support of smart  tourism across 
DMOs.  

As with supporting the objective of research and innovation projects and pilots on circular 
and sustainable tourism, support for projects on digital tools and services in tourism should 
also continue.  Although there are hundreds of ongoing EU-funded R&I projects linked to 
tourism and digital technologies, expected outputs have not been fully achieved by 2025. An 
activity under the co-operation agreement with the OECD (2025-2027) “Optimizing the social 
impacts of tourism” will deepen understanding to manage the economic and social trade-offs 
from tourism development and better identify the benefits of tourism in destinations.   

Although the take-up of technologies by tourism companies is advancing at a rapid pace, the 
Commission will promote and support an industry-led initiative to identify a set of guidelines 
on how to use AI proficiently in tourism in line with the Apply AI Strategy.  

The digital transition could be accelerated by establishing a common framework for tourism 
data  and  strategy  integration  in  conjunction  with  establishing  a  common  data  system  to 
underpin  evidence-based  decision-marking.  By  exploring  the  use  of  artificial  intelligence, 
introducing harmonized KPIs and real-time data systems to support monitoring of progress 
and  providing  dedicated  capacity-building  and  training  programmes,  a  robust  data-driven 
framework for tourism planning could be considered.  

Czechia: examples of innovative initiatives  

•  Lavender Farm in Olomouc: The picturesque farm combines agriculture and tourism. 
It has effectively capitalised on the growing trend of experiencing tourism by utilising 
a  complete  marketing  plan  that  includes  websites,  social  media,  and  traditional 
advertising. This demonstrates the happy cohabitation of tourism with agriculture. 

•  Transport  2030:  Competition  has  started  to  propose  automation,  digitization  and 
technologically advanced transport on top of sustainable, accessible and safe transport 
solutions, to support research and development for zero-emission transportation. 

•  5G  demonstrative  applications  -Testing  polygon  for  autonomous  mobility:  The 
project aims to create a test polygon for autonomous mobility within the city of Pilsen. 
This will bring innovative solutions to the city, especially by increasing the possibility 
of dynamic traffic management. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
V. 

PRIORITY AREA 4: RESILIENCE AND INCLUSION 

In  total,  three  key  topics  are  defined  under  “Resilience  and  inclusion”  -  accessibility  of 
tourism  services,  resilient  EU  tourism  services  and  destinations,  sustainable  innovation  in 
tourism services. 

Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

Accessibility of 
tourism services  

Enhancing social and economic 
inclusion, taking into account the 
elderly, persons with disabilities 
and other groups with specific 
needs.   

Resilient EU 
tourism services and 
destinations  

Improving the resilience of EU 
tourism services and destinations 
to service diverse audiences in all 
seasons and various locations. 

Sustainable 
innovation in 
tourism services  

Promoting the EU as a destination 
that meets the changing demands 
of tourism while maintaining the 
wellbeing of residents and their 
environment. 

Increased offer of accessible 
tourism services. 

More resilient services and 
destinations, which can better 
resist shocks. 

Innovative tourism services to 
meet new types of tourism 
demand while respecting the 
long-term sustainability needs of 
residents and the environment. 

The Commission, Member States 
other relevant public authorities 
and DMOs to raise awareness of 
the importance of accessibility in 
tourism with a view to improving 
the accessibility of, and creating 
favourable conditions for, 
accessible tourism services. 

The Commission and Member 
States and other relevant public 
authorities to provide various 
forms of support to help 
destinations, companies and start-
ups diversify tourism services, 
particularly across seasons and 
various locations. 

The Commission and Member 
States and other relevant public 
authorities to provide various 
forms of support to help 
companies, start-ups and local 
communities innovate with 
sustainable and resilient tourism 
services, with a positive net 
impact for residents and local 
ways of life. 

Progress in this priority area is also generally moderate, with four EU Member States having 
achieved 'significant progress', while 18 Member States achieved 'moderate progress' and five 
Member States demonstrated 'limited progress.' 

The  Commission  made  notable  progress  when  adopting  its  proposal  to  create  a  European 
Disability Card and a European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, which would apply 
to tourists as well. The Commission’s Access City and Smart Tourism capital awards also 
continue to promote accessibility for places to visit and live. Several EU-funded projects are 
supporting DMOs to become more resilient and diversified. Seventy-four pledges have been 
made by stakeholders towards the three resilience and inclusion topic areas in the Agenda, 
demonstrating moderate engagement by tourism actors with resilience initiatives. As with the 
previous two priority areas, topics under resilience and inclusion have seen a relatively higher 
number of initiatives and policy actions. This indicates a stronger level of engagement and 
investment by Member States also in this domain.  

12 

 
 
 
 
 
As regards the accessibility of tourism services, notable progress has been made over the 
past years but must remain a priority taking into consideration the exponential increase in the 
number  of  travellers  over  the  age  of  65  in  the  next  decades.  The  European  Parliament 
conducted a study on the role of the longevity economy in tourism. Under the Strategy for the 
rights of persons with disabilities for 2021-2030, the proposed European Disability Card was 
adopted  by  the  co-legislators  in  October  2024.  These  rules  make  it  easier  for  people  with 
disabilities to travel across the EU, providing them with recognition of their disability status. 
Nearly two-thirds of Member States implement specific measures to boost the provision of 
accessible tourism services and increase awareness in this area. Improving accessibility for 
persons with reduced mobility, persons with disabilities and catering to older travellers will 
continue to be addressed by all stakeholders in the next decades. 

The objective of ensuring resilient EU tourism services and destinations is to develop more 
resilient services that can better resist shocks.  The EU-funded project ‘Crisis Management 
and Governance in Tourism’ aims at strengthening the EU tourism ecosystem resilience by 
improving  its  governance  and  mechanisms  for  resisting,  managing,  and  mitigating  future 
crises. Member States are advancing resilience through diverse strategies such as sustainable 
infrastructure, digital innovation, and inclusive experiences. Resilience of destinations also 
involves the diversification of tourism services both across seasons, activities and locations, 
which is necessary to avoid unbalanced tourism. For example, seven projects were selected 
to test innovative urban solutions to tourism-related challenges as part of the second call for 
Innovative  Actions  of  the  European  Urban  Initiative  (EUI),  supported  by  the  European 
Regional Development Fund. Such solutions include support for innovative, sustainable and 
resilient  urban  tourism  offers,  developed  through  data-driven  solutions,  consulting  local 
populations  and  based  on  sustainability  criteria  in  Coimbra,  Copenhagen,  Elliniko-
Argyroupoli, Krakow, Prato, Ravenna and Valencia. A large-scale project funded under the 
Single  Market  Programme  aims  to  support  SMEs  in  building  sustainable  growth  and 
resilience.  Although  several  cross-sectoral  policies  and  projects  have  contributed  to  the 
resilience of destinations during the reporting period, in recent years the issue of unbalanced 
tourism has been brought to the forefront of the EU tourism agenda, as some destinations are 
experiencing overcrowding and increasing challenges with dispersing tourism flows.  

The 2023 Palma Declaration highlights the importance all Member States give to the social 
sustainability  of  tourism,  including  both  the  accessibility  of  tourism  for  all,  and  the  net 
benefits from tourism for the long-term well-being of both visitors and local residents.  

Sustainable innovation in tourism services is critical for meeting new types of demand and 
respecting the economic, environmental  and social sustainability needs of destinations and 
their residents. In order to promote the EU as a destination that meets the changing demands 
of  tourism  requires  a  stronger  ‘Brand  Europe,’  which  could  be  further  developed  in  the 
coming  years.  The  EU-funded  project  ‘Sustainable  EU  Tourism  –  Shaping  the  tourism  of 
tomorrow’  supports  destinations,  in  particular  DMOs,  to  become  more  sustainable  and 
resilient, with a focus on local communities and the environment. Results include replicable 
best practices and concrete solutions addressing various challenges – among them unbalanced 
tourism  growth  -  at  destination  level.  Nevertheless,  innovation  will  need  to  be  further 
supported  to  help  companies,  start-ups  and  local  communities  develop  sustainable  and 
resilient tourism services that positively impact residents and local ways of life.  

Developing  robust  crisis  preparedness  mechanisms  with  an  emphasis  on  early  warning 
systems,  access  to  reliable  disaster  information  in  various  languages  and  taking  into 

13 

 
 
consideration the needs of vulnerable people, including people with disabilities could improve 
destination preparedness. 

Greece: examples of innovative initiatives  

•  OpenRegioCulture  project:  Interreg  Europe-funded  project,  working  together  with  7 
other  EU  regions,  aims  to  co-create  an  environment  that  ensures  cultural  resources  are 
accessible to individuals with disabilities and other special needs. Project partners in the 
context of the culture and tourism sector will adopt an innovative co-creation approach by 
involving  the  authorities,  institutions,  cultural  sector  staff  and  stakeholders.  For  some 
participating regions, this project will also aim to improve the use of available targeted 
funding  under  ERDF  in  the  respective  national,  regional  2021-27  Cohesion  Policy 
programmes. Central Greece Region is a partner and the project is set to be completed in 
June 2028. 

•  Accessible  Beaches:  funded  by  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  (RRF)  and 
implemented by the Ministry of Tourism this project aims to fund the upgrade accessibility 
infrastructure of about 250 beaches across Greece by the end of 2025 

VI. 

PRIORITY AREA 5: SKILLS AND SUPPORT FOR TRANSITION  

In total, three key topics are defined under “Skills and support for transition” - awareness-
raising on needs and opportunities for the twin transition in tourism, Pact for Skills in tourism, 
integrated support platform for tourism stakeholders. 

Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

Awareness-
raising on 
needs and 
opportunities 
for the twin 
transition in 
tourism 

Awareness-raising on changes in 
tourism demand, the opportunities 
offered by the twin transition for 
tourism actors, as well as skills and 
approaches that help to increase 
resilience 

The Commission, Member States and 
other relevant public authorities and 
DMOs to organise awareness raising 
activities for tourism stakeholders and 
support networking and best-practice 
sharing by award-winning cities in the 
EU on smart tourism, culture and 
heritage, sustainability, innovation, 
and accessibility. 

Dissemination of tourism transition 
pathway in 2022; awareness-raising 
on digital and green transition as well 
as resilience, best-practice exchange 
and promotion of events. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Actions and 
responsibilities 

Output / target date as 
per Agenda 2030 

Pact for Skills 
in tourism 

To meet skills demand in the tourism 
ecosystem by implementing and 
expanding participation in the Pact for 
skills in tourism in order to actively 
encourage skills development and 
provide training opportunities for the 
workforce, the unemployed and 
SMEs. 

Helping tourism stakeholders find 
relevant and timely information, 
funding and support and connections 
to peers and experts. 

Integrated 
support 
platform for 
tourism 
stakeholders 

Regional and local skills partnerships 
to be established in significant 
tourism regions by 2024. By 2030, a 
significant part of the tourism 
workforce to have participated in 
training in line with the targets of the 
Pact for skills in tourism. 

Stakeholder support platform to be 
launched by 2023 with regular 
information-sharing, collaboratively 
developed content and community 
activities. 

The Commission, Member States and 
other relevant public authorities to 
facilitate and support the establishing 
of national, regional and local skills 
partnerships where feasible and in 
accordance with the existing 
framework; the Commission to 
facilitate engaging tourism 
companies, education providers, trade 
unions and other organisations to 
commit to jointly agreed training 
targets for their workforces, in 
compliance with the principle of 
subsidiarity; Member States to 
support skills partnerships to establish 
fasttrack training courses, 
apprenticeship schemes and blended 
models for the unemployed and 
jobseekers. 

The Commission to establish a 
stakeholder support platform to 
facilitate information-sharing, 
accessing resources and collaboration 
across tourism sectors and between 
actors. Member States, and other 
relevant public authorities and DMOs 
to inform their stakeholders and share 
relevant information on their results, 
events and resources for European 
audiences through the platform and 
other information channels. 

The progress in this priority area is also moderate, with twenty Member States demonstrating 
'moderate progress', and seven Member States showing 'limited progress'. 

Progress on the topics under resilience and inclusion is varied, with Commission initiatives 
under the Pact for Skills and large-scale skills partnership for tourism in the lead and with the 
development of the EU Tourism Platform. Several projects funded under the Erasmus+ and 
other programmes (e.g. Digital Europe, Single Market Programme) are supporting upskilling 
and reskilling initiatives through National and Regional skills partnerships in Member States. 
Nevertheless,  much  more  awareness-raising  needs  to  be  done  on  the  challenges  and 
opportunities for the digital and green transition as well as additional promotion of the EU 
Tourism Platform. Sixty-four pledges have been made by stakeholders towards the three skills 
and support for transition topic areas in the Agenda, demonstrating moderate engagement by 
tourism actors with skills initiatives. 

Although  significant  efforts  have  been  made  to  raise  awareness  on  the  needs  and 
opportunities  for  the  twin  transition  in  tourism  –  in  the  form  of  bi-annual  stakeholder 
events, EU Tourism Days, the annual European Tourism Forum, as well as regular ‘Together 
for EU Tourism’ (T4T) expert group and other stakeholder webinars – it remains a challenge 
to  reach  stakeholders  at  local  levels  to  inform  them  about  EU  tourism  policy  priorities. 

15 

 
 
 
Furthermore,  the  Commission  promotes  the  annual  Smart  Tourism  Capitals  and  Green 
Pioneer awards, which contribute to awareness-raising on Agenda and Transition Pathway 
areas  of  action,  as  well  as  the  annual  Access  City  award,  Capitals  of  Culture,  European 
Heritage awards and Green Capital & Green Leaf awards. The Commission also co-finances 
communication and co-branding campaigns with the European Travel Commission (ETC) to 
support the visibility and demand for sustainable tourism in the EU.  

The EU Pact for Skills large-scale partnership for tourism was launched in January 2022 
and  has  grown  to  nearly  one  hundred  members,  supported  by  several  Erasmus+-funded 
projects. The headline objective of reskilling or upskilling more than 10% of the European 
tourism workforce annually was partially achieved in 20248. To date, ten National/Regional 
Skills Partnerships have been set up to meet skills needs at national and regional level. The 
objective is to establish such partnerships in significant tourism regions over the next years. 
Progress has therefore been made in this area, but in order to meet the critical staff shortages 
in the hospitality sector in particular, more efforts are needed at EU-level to identify skills 
gaps and provide accessible and affordable training courses for new occupational profiles in 
tourism.  

Finally,  the  EU  Tourism  Platform,  an  integrated  support  platform  for  tourism 
stakeholders, has been fully functional for more than one year, and has reached over  650 
registered  users.  The  platform  is  widely  promoted  and  has  proved  a  useful  resource  for 
stakeholders  in  terms  of  finding  information  about  funding  and  open  calls,  sharing  best 
practices  and  pledges  towards  actions  in  the  transition  pathway,  promoting  events  and 
webinars,  and  also  serves  as  a  discussion  forum  for  registered  users  on  various  topics. 
Although additional improvements should be made to make the platform more user-friendly 
and promote its use by a wider variety of stakeholders, it can be considered that the specific 
action to develop such a platform for tourism stakeholders has been completed. 

Although there are many significant initiatives at EU and Member State level on upskilling 
and reskilling the tourism workforce, particularly those on skills portability and attraction of 
talent  from  abroad  under  the  Union  of  Skills,  further  efforts  should  be  made  to  reach  the 
existing tourism workforce and job seekers through open, accessible and affordable training 
courses to improve digital, green and other critical skills for the tourism sector. Additional 
support  for  the  development  of  operational  national  and  regional  skills  partnerships  in  the 
framework of the Union of Skills could be provided. 

8 Training/education and up/reskilling a mean 10% of the tourism workforce each year from 2023 until 2030 to 
tackle the skills gaps in the tourism ecosystem both for the current workforce and new entrants. This commitment 
represents  a  total  of  7,500,000  tourism  sector  workers  (60%)  participating  in  upskilling  or  reskilling  actions 
annually by 20308. 

16 

 
 
 
Italy: examples of relevant initiatives 

•  Upskilling/Reskilling Box – TourX Project: This initiative is being implemented 

within the TourX network and upcoming Centres of Vocational Excellence to address 
skill gaps in the regional tourism sector. Italian partners contribute to regional skills 
analysis, curriculum alignment, and piloting of reskilling tools to enhance workforce 
resilience in tourism. 

•  PacTS4ALL – Pact for Tourism Skills Forward Alliance: Funded by the Erasmus+ 

programme, PacTS4ALL coordinates upskilling and reskilling initiatives across Europe, 
including Italy. The project has engaged nearly 80 signatories and organized multiple 
coordination meetings to foster collaboration among stakeholders. 

•  Enhancing skills in hospitality sector: The "Trame Mediterranee" project, part of the 
RegenerAction initiative, offers training programs to local populations to enhance skills 
in the hospitality sector. It emphasizes nurturing a sense of heritage pride and includes 
innovative internship programs for young individuals to become ambassadors of 
Mediterranean identity. 

•  EU Pact for skills: regional authorities Regione del Veneto, Regione Emilia-Romagna, 

Regione Lombardia, and Regione Toscana participate in the initiative. 

Comparison of implementation journeys and overall assessment 

The  Progress  Analysis  Matrix  presented  below  is  structured  to  provide  a  comprehensive 
overview of how Member States are advancing toward the objectives outlined in the Agenda, 
as developed in the Study. 

The matrix is organised with the priority areas of the Agenda listed along the horizontal one 
axis, and the EU Member States along the other. This layout presents a clear, side-by-side 
comparison of each country’s progress across all priority areas, making it easier to identify 
strengths, weaknesses, and trends. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9Figure 1 – Progress analysis matrix results10 

In the Study, Member States’ progress towards the actions in the Agenda are grouped into 
three  categories:  leading,  progressing  and  emerging  countries.  By  assessing  the  main 
achievements,  together  with  the  identified  challenges  and  gaps,  both  similarities  and 
differences within each of the three country groups appear. 

9 ‘Progressing’ Member States demonstrate positive alignment with the objectives of the EU Agenda for Tourism 
2030  through  a  variety  of  documented  actions,  initiatives  and  projects.  ‘Emerging’  Member  States  show 
promising  progress  in  particular  areas,  albeit  to  a  lesser  extent  than  others.  ‘Leading’  MS  also  have  further 
opportunities  for  development,  underscoring  the  ongoing  potential  for  all  Member  States  to  advance  further 
towards the twin transition and resilience building. 
10 The scoring methodology applied in the study assesses each action based on the number of identified projects 
and initiatives in each Member States, and these scores were aggregated to determine overall progress within 
each  priority  area,  classified  as  ‘significant’,  ‘moderate’,  or  ‘limited’.  Member  States  were  subsequently 
classified as ‘leading’, ‘progressing’ or ‘emerging’ depending on their cumulative performance across all five 
priority areas. 

18 

 
 
 
In  certain  areas,  countries  belonging  to  the  same  group  have  demonstrated  comparable 
progress  or  encountered  similar  obstacles,  indicating  the  presence  of  shared  structural 
conditions or policy approaches. Nevertheless, significant differences also emerge within the 
groups,  often  shaped  by  distinct  national  and  regional  contexts,  including  variations  in 
political dynamics and administrative capacities. 

For example, leading countries emphasise tourism diversification, strategic positioning and 
branding, strong alignment of national strategies with EU priorities, and employ innovative 
approaches to investment. Member States demonstrating the least progress towards actions in 
the Agenda have notable gaps in  addressing these actions,  and in  some cases  lack follow-
through and operationalisation of national tourism strategies and show inconsistency with the 
use of EU funds available for tourism.  

Although  there  are  shared  objectives  and  progress  towards  advancing  a  more  sustainable, 
digital  and  resilient  European  tourism  ecosystem,  several  implementation  gaps11  remain 
where further efforts could be enhanced, for example: 

Area 

Analysis 

Workforce development  

(27 MS12) 

Continuous upskilling and reskilling are necessary to meet the evolving 
demands of the tourism sector, particularly regarding the digital and green 
transition 

Data utilisation  

(16 MS) 

Coordination  

(14 MS) 

SME support  

(11 MS) 

Twin transition  

(10 MS) 

Funding access  

(6 MS) 

While tourism data is increasingly collected, its strategic use for planning 
and performance monitoring remains limited in many MS. 

Lack of structured cooperation and coordination among national, regional, 
and local stakeholders hinders the coherent design and implementation of 
tourism strategies and reforms across and within the EU-27. 

SMEs need more targeted support, including improved access to funding, 
tailored training, and advisory services, to effectively participate in 
sustainable and digital transformation 

Efforts to simultaneously advance digitalisation and sustainability within 
tourism are often fragmented or underdeveloped, limiting innovation and 
adaptability across the sector. 

Tourism actors often encounter barriers in accessing national and EU-
level funding, due to limited awareness, administrative complexity, or 
insufficient targeting to the local level and actors to be benefited. 

Short-term regulation 

(5 MS) 

The rapid expansion of STRs has outpaced regulatory frameworks in 
some MS, creating inconsistencies and challenges particularly in housing 
markets 

Strategic planning  

(5 MS) 

There is a need for forward-looking tourism strategies with well-defined 
milestones and clear implementation timelines. 

Additional  implementation  issues  have  emerged  in  relation  to  unbalanced  tourism,  crisis 
preparedness and climate adaptation. Unbalanced tourism remains a challenge, with visitor 

11  Number of Member States for which this gap was identified in the Study 
12 Number of countries where this gap has been identified. 

19 

 
 
 
 
flows  concentrated  in  popular  destinations  and  limited  measures  in  place  to  encourage 
diversification.  Crisis preparedness in Member States, regions and municipalities should also 
be strengthened. Climate adaptation also remains underdeveloped, with tourism policies and 
infrastructure not yet fully aligned with climate resilience objectives. 

These findings demonstrate that more efforts will be needed in the coming years to  ensure 
progress in certain priority areas by all stakeholders (see Annex). 

VII.  CONCLUSIONS  

Based  on  the  outcomes  of  the  Study  and  the  2023  and  2024  stocktaking  reports  on  the 
transition  pathway,  it  can  be  concluded  that  the  majority  of  Member  States  have  made 
progress towards the green, digital and resilience priority areas in the Agenda. All Member 
States  agree  that  the  twin  transition  is  a  priority,  and  that  support  to  SMEs  and 
microenterprises is essential. Initiatives towards recovery have been commendable, resulting 
in record growth in many regions by 2025. Nevertheless, resilience needs to be strengthened 
in areas such as support for skills and the workforce, climate change adaptation, unbalanced 
tourism, and crisis  preparedness. More coordination is  needed for policies related to  skills 
development and support mechanisms.  

The disparity in progress across priority areas highlights the need for a more balanced and 
coordinated approach  at  local,  regional, national  and EU levels.  Strengthening governance 
and policy frameworks is essential not only for aligning efforts across  and within Member 
States  but  also  for  ensuring  that  tourism  contributes  meaningfully  to  the  EU’s  broader 
sustainability and digital transition goals. 

The forthcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism should draw on these results to help 
align efforts across levels (local, regional, national and international) and sectors, and ensure 
more balanced progress across the EU. 

Main issues requiring further consideration 

Based  on  the  outcome  of  the  Study,  the  following  considerations  are  made  for  increasing 
efforts towards the actions in both the Agenda and Transition Pathway for Tourism: 

1.  Economy,  resource  efficiency  and  social  sustainability  across  the  tourism 

ecosystem 

Circular economy models require support to local actors and intermediaries. Partnerships for 
sustainable sourcing could be strengthened, and knowledge should continue to be shared on 
EU sustainable initiatives such as the Circular Economy Action Plan for Tourism and on the 
EU Ecolabel  and EMAS schemes. The creation of local clusters bringing together tourism 
SMEs,  authorities  and  community  stakeholders  to  co-design  and  implement  solutions  for 
waste reduction, resource efficiency and community benefits-sharing are key to ensuring that 
initiatives are inclusive and community-focused.  

2.  Tourism data and strategy integration  

EU tourism policy requires robust data infrastructure and a unified framework, alongside a 
common  data  system  to  underpin  evidence-based  decision-making.  Harmonised  KPIs  and 

20 

 
 
real-time  data  systems  are  needed  to  develop  and  improve  monitoring  and  comparability 
across  Member  States.  To  fully  enhance  the  use  of  harmonised  tourism  data,  the  use  of 
artificial  intelligence  can  help  tourism  actors  regarding  planning,  service  and  delivery. 
Harmonised  KPIs  and  real-time  data  systems  could  be  useful  to  support  transparent 
monitoring  of  progress.  Finally,  an  EU  framework  could  also  be  established  for  smart 
destinations, building on common performance criteria of DMOs’ certification and bi-annual 
monitoring  mechanisms.  Such  a  framework  could  be  endorsed  by  a  system  of  support  to 
develop a tourism strategic framework and governance system.  

3.  Crisis preparedness and response 

External shocks such as extreme weather events, geopolitical instability, health emergencies 
and economic volatility  highlight the need  for structured and proactive crisis  management 
mechanisms across the sector and at all levels of governance. Current frameworks do not yet 
sufficiently  support  coordinated  action  or  long-term  resilience  of  the  sector.  A  smart 
destination  framework  could  involve  destinations  identifying  risks  in  alignment  with  the 
Crisis Management and Governance in Tourism project and crisis management, including risk 
and  crisis  communication  tailored  for  all  travellers,  as  well  as  for  those  with  disabilities.. 
Climate change adaptation and mitigation could continue to be a priority in tourism policy 
with an approach to crisis preparedness and response.   

4.  Structural and financial support to SMEs 

SMEs continue to face challenges in accessing private investment and EU funding, navigating 
complex funding procedures and investing in the green and digital transition and resilience of 
the sector. Simplification of financial and structural support for SMEs could be tailored to the 
operational realities of the tourism sector, by providing clearer guidance, more visible funding 
channels  and  user-friendly  procedures.  Communication  on  opportunities  could  emphasise 
practical benefits such as cost savings and competitiveness to drive engagement and increase 
participation.  SMEs  in  the  tourism  sector  also  stand  to  benefit  from  the  EU  Savings  and 
Investments Union (SIU), which aims to create better financial opportunities for EU citizens 
and businesses by channelling savings into productive European investments 

5.  Role of intermediaries and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration 

All tourism actors, including industry associations, chambers of commerce, DMOs, networks 
and NGOs are critical for connecting EU-level strategies with regional and local decision-
making and implementation. Increasing stakeholder engagement involves actors’ awareness-
raising  efforts  about  the  green  and  digital  transitions,  skills  development,  resilience  and 
inclusion and therefore the impact of these intermediaries could be further strengthened to 
interpret  and  disseminate  EU-level  guidance,  particularly  through  collaboration  in  regular 
forums, expert groups and communication platforms such as the EU Tourism Platform.   

6.  Visibility, coordination and uptake of EU skills initiatives for tourism actors 

The EU Pact for Skills initiative already coordinates regular updates and disseminates sector-
specific skills intelligence, maps emerging needs such as digital, green, crisis management 
and  accessibility,  and  translates  them  into  actionable  guidance  for  training  providers, 
employers and workers. To support these actions, targeted resources, toolkits and capacity-
building could be provided for DMOs, networks, regional and local authorities to act as skills 
multipliers, helping them guide their communities in identifying, accessing and prioritising 
relevant upskilling opportunities. Mechanisms are being established to capture, recognise and 
disseminate  local  and  informal  upskilling  initiatives,  using  the  EU  Tourism  Platform  as  a 

21 

 
 
central  hub  for  sharing  best  practices,  case  studies  and  feedback,  which  could  be  further 
promoted.  

Priority  actions  that  were  not  fully  reflected  in  the  Agenda  or  the  Transition  Pathway  for 
Tourism could be considered as part of the new EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy, such as a 
greater  emphasis  on  tackling  unbalanced  tourism,  crisis  management,  international 
cooperation,  data  sharing,  connectivity 
including  sustainable  urban  mobility  and 
multimodality as key enablers as well as investment/funding. In the context of the Union of 
Skills, a stronger emphasis could be placed on developing a skilled workforce in the sector.  

22 

 
 
 
 
ANNEX 

Status of progress of actions in the European Agenda for Tourism 2030 

Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Level of progress 

Future actions needed 

Fair measures for 
short-term rentals 
(STR) 

A transparent EU STR market, 
promoting competition and 
consumer protection, creating 
opportunities and contributing to 
sustainable tourism. 

Partially completed with adoption 
of Regulation (EU)2024/1028. 
Implementation ongoing in 
Member States. 

Monitoring of implementation and 
full application of the Regulation. 

Statistics and 
indicators for 
tourism 

Improving the availability and 
coverage of tourism statistics to 
consider the economic, social, 
cultural and environmental impacts 
of tourism. Improving access to 
private and destination-level data 
for producing official statistics on 
tourism, respecting data protection 
rules and legitimate commercial 
interests. 

Moderate progress with more 
Member States providing 
indicators through Tourism 
Satellite Accounts and the 
Commission further developing the 
EU Tourism Dashboard 

Evaluate EU framework for 
tourism statistics which includes 
indicators on the economic, 
environmental and social impacts 
of tourism by 2030 expected in 
2027. 

Comprehensive 
tourism strategies 
development or 
update 

Strategic approach to tourism at 
national, regional and local levels 
to consider the economic, 
environmental, cultural and social 
sustainability of tourism. 

Significant progress as all Member 
States have national tourism 
strategies in place at varying levels 
of ambition. 

National tourism strategies to be 
taken as inspiration and aligned to 
the best extent possible with the 
new EU Sustainable Tourism 
Strategy and could be published on 
Member States’ websites. 

Collaborative and 
databased 
destination 
management 

Expanding the scope of tourism 
destination management 
organisations to collaborative and 
data-based decision-making 
involving all stakeholders, 
including local residents. 

Consistent progress with annual 
Smart Tourism Awards but more 
effort needs to be made on 
expanding the scope of tourism 
DMOs to data-based decision-
making.  

Ongoing study by the Commission 
addressing key challenges and 
opportunities for DMOs; evaluate 
role of DMOs possibly to evolve 
from traditional marketing roles 
into comprehensive manager of 
sustainable tourism. 

Efforts to improve the circularity 
of tourism services will continue 
to be monitored.  

Improving 
circularity 
of 
tourism services   

Supporting 
the 
green  transition 
tourism 
of 
companies  and 
SMEs   

Reducing 
footprint  of 
(food/general 
water/energy 
pollution). 

the 

environmental 
tourism  services 
waste, 
and 

efficiency 

Moderate  progress  with  nearly 
States 
of  Member 
half 
implementing measures to reduce 
environmental  footprint  of  food 
services 
of 
related EU Green Deal legislation 
ongoing.  

Implementation 

schemes 

Encouraging  tourism  companies 
to  take  up  greener  practices  by 
increasing  demand 
for  green 
services  by  public  actors  and 
promoting 
which 
support  the  assessment,  tracking 
and  reduction  of  environmental 
footprint.  Providing  support  for 
in 
SMEs 
environmentally 
friendly 
practices to ensure that it does not 
become a barrier to trade. 

engage 

to 

Moderate  progress  with  nearly 
half of Member States to support 
the  green  transition  of  SMEs. 
Progress  on  PEF  and  promotion 
of  EU  Ecolabel  and  EMAS  is 
needed.  

This  topic  is  proposed  to  be 
combined with the topic above on 
improving  circularity  of  tourism 
services in the form of continued 
support  to  SMEs  on  sustainable 
tourism services. 

23 

 
 
Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Level of progress 

Future actions needed 

on 

research 

Supporting  public-private  co-
operation 
and 
innovation  projects  and  pilots 
and 
which  develop  models 
transferable 
for 
sustainable tourism.  

practices 

circular 

Moderate  progress  with  projects 
sustainable 
on 
and 
through 
tourism,  particularly 
Horizon Europe.  

R&I  projects  and  pilots  on 
circular  and  sustainable  tourism 
will continue to be supported. 

Substantial progress on the use of 
digital  tools  by  tourism  SMEs 
with  reported  increased  use  of 
advanced technologies. 

SMEs 
for 

Effective  use  of  digital  tools  by 
and 
tourism 
microenterprises 
resource 
internal  work 
management, 
processes, 
service  provision, 
marketing,  communication  with 
clients and supply chains and new 
service development. 

Encouraging and  participating in 
tourism-relevant  data  sharing  to 
support innovative services. 

Moderate progress on public data 
sharing  and  the  development  of 
an EU Data Space for Tourism. 

take-up 

Although  tourism  SMEs  have 
nearly all reached a basic level of 
digital  intensity  in  line  with  the 
Digital  Compass  objectives  and 
advanced 
of 
the 
technologies 
increasing 
is 
rapidly,    a  continued  need  for 
support  for  digitalisation  and 
tourism 
monitored 
ecosystem.  

the 

for 

tourism 

As  most  Member 
States 
considered it a priority to support 
developing 
innovative, 
services 
personalized 
and/or  data-driven  destination 
management, 
the 
development  of  an  EU  Data 
Space for tourism is ongoing, this 
topic will remain a priority.  

and 

public-private 
Supporting 
cooperation  on 
research  and 
innovation projects and pilots that 
innovative  and 
develop 
sustainable  use  of  digital  tools 
and practices in tourism. 

the 

Significant progress with projects 
supporting  digital  innovation  in 
SMEs, particularly under Horizon 
the  Single  Market 
Europe, 
Programme,  and  pilot  projects 
funded 
European 
by 
Parliament.  

the 

 A continued need for support for 
R&I  project 
the 
development  of  digital  tools  and 
services in tourism 

supporting 

and 

Research 
innovation 
projects 
and 
pilots on circular 
and  sustainable 
tourism 

Digitalisation  of 
tourism SMEs   

data 
for 

Public 
sharing 
encouraging 
innovative 
tourism services  

and 

Research 
innovation 
and 
projects 
pilots  on  digital 
tools and services 
in tourism  

Accessibility of 
tourism services  

Enhancing social and economic 
inclusion, taking into account the 
elderly, persons with disabilities 
and other groups with specific 
needs.   

Significant progress with the 
European Disability Card and the 
Smart Tourism Awards with a 
criterion on accessibility. 

Resilient EU 
tourism services 
and destinations  

Improving the resilience of EU 
tourism services and destinations 
to service diverse audiences in 
all seasons and various locations. 

Moderate progress through EU-
funded studies on resilience and 
unbalanced tourism, but limited 
progress in tackling seasonality, 
diversification and ensuring the 
well-being of residents. 

Accessible tourism services 
should continue to increase, 
reflect how best to integrate into 
overall tourism policy work, 
particularly in light of the ageing 
traveller population. 

Support to tackle unbalanced 
tourism in destinations. 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key topic 

Goals and objectives 

Level of progress 

Future actions needed 

Sustainable 
innovation in 
tourism services  

Promoting the EU as a 
destination that meets the 
changing demands of tourism 
while maintaining the wellbeing 
of residents and their 
environment. 

Moderate progress towards 
meeting new types of demand 
and respecting the economic, 
environmental and social 
sustainability needs of 
destinations and their residents. 

A strengthened ‘Brand Europe’ 
will contribute to further 
promoting the EU as a 
destination. This topic to be 
consolidated with the one above 
on resilient EU tourism services 
and destinations. 

Awareness-raising 
on needs and 
opportunities for 
the twin transition 
in tourism 

Awareness-raising on changes in 
tourism demand, the 
opportunities offered by the twin 
transition for tourism actors, as 
well as skills and approaches that 
help to increase resilience 

Pact for Skills in 
tourism 

Integrated 
support 
platform for 
tourism 
stakeholders 

To meet skills demand in the 
tourism ecosystem by 
implementing and expanding 
participation in the Pact for skills 
in tourism in order to actively 
encourage skills development 
and provide training 
opportunities for the workforce, 
the unemployed and SMEs. 

Helping tourism stakeholders 
find relevant and timely 
information, funding and support 
and connections to peers and 
experts. 

Consistent progress by all 
stakeholders with organising 
awareness-raising activities for 
tourism stakeholders. 
Commission support for 
networking and best-practice 
sharing by award-winning cities 
in the EU on smart tourism, 
culture and heritage, 
sustainability, innovation, and 
accessibility. 

Awareness-raising on EU 
tourism policy and the new EU 
Sustainable Tourism Strategy 
will continue to be a priority, as 
well as best-practice exchange 
and promotion of events, 
including promoting the benefits 
of tourism for local communities. 

Significant progress with 
increasing awareness of the Pact 
for Skills and large-scale 
partnership for tourism with a 
consistent increase in number of 
members and the launch of the 
Union of Skills.  

The number of regional and local 
skills partnerships is increasing 
but a larger share of the tourism 
workforce would benefit from  
training. Action could be 
supported by a European 
Tourism Skills Academy.  

Significant progress with 
establish an EU-wide tourism 
stakeholder support platform to 
facilitate information-sharing, 
accessing resources and 
collaboration across tourism 
sectors and between actors.  

Action complete, yet continuous 
improvements will be made to 
the platform to promote regular 
information-sharing, 
collaboratively developed 
content and community 
activities. 

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