EU tourism policy

A great number of private and public stakeholders at international, European, national, regional and local level are involved in the development of tourism. Given the complexity of tourism which is not easy to separate from other economic sectors, the stakeholders must develop partnerships if they want to stay ahead of competition. The success of the renewed EU policy depends therefore on the active involvement of all tourism stakeholders.

The policy focuses on 3 main areas:

1) Mainstreaming measures affecting tourism

2) Promoting tourism sustainability

3) Enhancing the understanding and the visibility of tourism

The globalisation of the markets has opened up new opportunities, with tourists from new markets able to afford high value vacations. Attracting them to Europe would enhance the development potential of the European tourism industry and support the creation of growth and jobs in the EU. The Commission works together with the Member States and other tourism stakeholders on projects such as the European Tourist Destinations Portal and the preparatory action on European Destinations of Excellence and, at the same time, promotes synergies with all stakeholders in order to improve the visibility of tourism.