European Tourism Forum
In its Communication Working together for the future of European Tourism of 13 November 2001, the Commission proposed an operational framework and measures to be undertaken with the aim of strengthening European tourism. To improve the interface between European tourism stakeholders, one of the measures provided also for an annual European Tourism Forum, which was held for the first time in December 2002 in Bruxelles.
The European Tourism Forums normally bring together leading representatives from the tourism industry, civil society, European Institutions, national and regional authorities dealing with tourism, and international organisations to discuss the challenges of the sector. Every year the Forum focuses on specific themes of interest, such as quality, sustainability and competition.
5 - 7 October 2011 - Kraków (Poland)
The European Tourism Forum 2011 was held in Kraków (Poland) between the 5th and the 7th October 2011 under the theme "Stimulating competitiveness in the European Tourism Sector".
The event was organised by by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland in collaboration with the European Commission and the Municipality of Cracow within the framework of the Polish Presidency of the European Union Council.
It brought together leading representatives from the tourism industry, civil society, European Institutions, national and regional authorities dealing with tourism, and international organization.
The Forum was opened by Ms Katarzyna Sobierajska, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Polish Presidency, Marek Sowa, Marshall of Małopolska Region, Poland, Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of the City of Kraków, Poland, Pedro Ortún, Director for Tourism, CSR, Consumer Goods, European Commission and Marcio Favilla, Executive Director for Competitiveness, External Relations and Partnerships to the Forum, UNWTO.
Two panels discussed specifically :
- the consolidation of the socio-economic knowledge base for tourism and the development of innovation
- ICT in tourism.
The plenary session was dedicated to the strengthening of competitiveness in Europe.
An Informal Meeting of Tourism Ministers also took place on 6th October, with the participation of European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani. Following this meeting, the European Commission and the European Travel Commission signed a Joint Declaration for cooperation in the field of tourism and the promotion of “Destination Europe”.
Within the framework of this event, Poland also joined the "50.000 tourists" pilot initiative aiming at strengthening tourist flows between South America and Europe by signing the memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Vice President Antonio Tajani.
18 - 19 November 2010 - Mellieha (Malta)
The European Tourism Forum was hosted this year by Malta, in collaboration with the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency.
It was held on November 18th - 19th in Mellieha, a European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) winning destination.
The main theme was "Strengthening Europe`s Role as the Leading Tourism Destination". On the 18th November, two panels took place:
- Panel 1 dealt with prioritising actions following the Commission Communication on Tourism
- Panel 2 discussed ways and means to maximise visibility for Europe.
A Plenary Session focusing on the new policy framework for tourism took place on the 19th November, with the participation of Vice President Tajani.
Following the Forum closure, a Ministerial Debate took place on the 19th November.
8 - 9 October 2009 - Brussels (Belgium)
The European Tourism Forum has been held in Brussels on 9 October 2009 , following the European Tourism Day event held on 8 October 2009.
The theme of the 2009 European Tourism Forum was "EU Tourism and the Economic Downturn: New Opportunities for a Sustainable and Prosperous Future?"
During the event, four themes were debated by separate panels:
- Consumer Behaviour vis-à-vis Sustainability and the Economic Downturn
- Employer-Employee Relations in Tourism
- The Regulatory Framework in Tourism
- A 2020 Perspective: Promoting Competitive and Sustainable European Tourism
18 - 19 September 2008 - Bordeaux (France)
The selected theme was "The European Tourism Offer: Quality and Sustainability vis-à-vis Demand Trends".
Three sub-themes were proposed for the three consecutive panels, namely:
- Europe's Adaptability to World Tourism Demand Trends;
- Integrating Competitiveness and Sustainability Criteria in the Adaptation of the European Tourism Offer;
- Facilitating the Adaptation of EU Quality Tourism Jobs.
During the event, the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) Awards was also held in Bordeaux, with the participation of twenty winning destinations from twenty Member States.
25 - 26 October 2007 - Algarve (Portugal)
"Sustainable Management of Tourism Destinations" were chosen as the main theme, whilst three sustainability-related topics based on the Key Challenges identified by the Tourism Sustainability Group (TSG) were discussed, namely:
- Management and Conservation of the Natural and Cultural Heritage;
- Management of Resources and Waste;
- Sustainable Management: Corporate Responsibility for Competitiveness and Job Creation.
16 - 17 November 2006 - Limassol (Cyprus)
The 5th European Tourism Forum, entitled 'European Tourism: New Opportunities', had three main themes for discussion: "New Technologies, New Tourists"; "New Instruments, Innovative Partnerships" and "New Trends, New Markets".
