European Tourism Stakeholders Conference - Madrid 14 April 2010

The European Tourism Stakeholders Conference, organised in close collaboration with the Spanish Presidency of the Council, was held in Madrid on 14 April 2010.

The European Tourism Stakeholders conference explored ways and means to verify how the actions to promote a competitive EU tourism industry and a sustainable growth of European tourism can be consolidated in an updated EU tourism policy framework, to be implemented in close cooperation with the national and regional authorities and the EU private tourism stakeholders.

Ministers and State Secretaries from all EU countries were invited to share their views, whilst senior European tourism stakeholders were also being asked to discuss specific themes that include Innovation and Competitiveness, Sustainable and Socially Responsible Tourism, and the Image of Europe as a tourist destination.

This conference coincided with the Informal Ministerial meeting for Tourism, hosted by the Spanish Presidency on 15 April. Within the scope of the Informal Ministerial meeting the 'Declaration of Madrid' , having motto "Towards a socially responsible tourism model", was signed.