2012-12-06 — /travelprnews.com/ — “Tourism is a global phenomenon, but it is shaped locally and it should have people or citizens at its centre”, said Mr Luca Jahier, President of the Various Interests Group of the European Economic and Social Committee at the conference on ‘Tourism and Competitiveness’ held in Lefkosia, Cyprus, on 30 November 2012.
Just a few weeks ahead of the European Year of Citizens, the Various Interests Group sought to position European citizens as key actors in the development and implementation of a European tourism strategy. A sector which generates more than 10% of the EU’s GDP and provides employment to some 12% of the labour force needs to be harmoniously integrated into society and to be better promoted and supported. Only then will tourism become an effective vehicle for sustainable growth and jobs in Europe, particularly in the current economic crisis.
However, in order to develop a strategic vision for European tourism, all stakeholders should be involved at the local, regional, national and European levels. The EU in particular should play a key role in pushing through political decisions which will have a direct positive impact on the sector.
“The EU should seriously consider removing visa requirements for Russian citizens who wish to visit Europe”, stated Mr George Mindis, Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. The need for European initiatives and leadership in the tourism sector was echoed by several speakers, who stressed that it is imperative to collect reliable data on the sector and for a European level communication strategy to be adopted.
Speaking on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry, Mr Jan Eric Frydman informed participants about a forthcoming legislative proposal to simplify the procedures for applying and issuing European visas to third-country nationals, adding that the EC was also working towards creating a European label for European tourism.
The need for targeted actions to support the sector was echoed by Ms Egly Pantelakis, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment of the Republic of Cyprus: “There is enormous potential for the development of agri-tourism and inland tourism, as long as there is long-term planning and development”. Niche tourism, be it agri-tourism, adventure tourism or tourism designed for the increasing number of European pensioners, should be supported by EU regional and social funds, but also by the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework and specific SME financing, since SMEs make up 98% of tourism businesses.
The participants also highlighted the specific characteristics of European island countries, which often face difficulties overcoming the seasonality of the tourism sector. Diversifying the tourism sector could be a first step in resolving this problem. The seasonality of the tourism sector also has a very negative impact on the working conditions of individuals it employs and on the sustainable growth of local and regional economies.
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