EU ministers have agreed a set of strategic guidelines intended to support a sustainable and competitive tourism sector across the bloc
The Council of the EU adopted conclusions that describe tourism as a major part of the EU economy, accounting for 7% of the EU’s gross value added, 10% of jobs and 4.6 million businesses, the Council announced on Thursday.
The text calls for tourism policy to combine economic, social and environmental considerations, including cutting the sector’s environmental footprint through resource efficiency, circularity, decarbonisation and measures to protect nature and biodiversity.
It also highlights the need for tourism to benefit local communities and respect cultural heritage.
The conclusions refer to stronger collaboration across different levels of government and the private sector, including the European Commission, national governments, regional and local authorities, destination management organisations — bodies that co-ordinate tourism in specific places — and industry groups.
Focus on jobs, imbalance and resilience
The Council’s document places emphasis on quality employment, working conditions and skills development for tourism workers and jobseekers, including reskilling and upskilling.
It also addresses uneven tourism patterns, citing the negative impacts of overtourism in popular destinations as well as low visitor numbers in lesser-known areas.
The conclusions encourage national and regional policies that involve local communities and support sustainable tourism in peripheral, rural, island, mountainous and remote destinations, including through better connectivity and regional balance.
The Council also calls for reliable, affordable and accessible year-round links by air, land and water, alongside more sustainable transport solutions and better co-ordination between different travel modes.
On digital policy, the conclusions urge the development of a European framework for tourism data and interoperability — making systems work together — as well as guidance on the use of artificial intelligence, alongside efforts to improve digital skills.
The text also calls for stronger crisis preparedness and response across the tourism ecosystem, noting challenges including geopolitical tensions, climate change and workforce shortages.
The European Commission has been invited to report on progress every three years and take the conclusions into account when preparing an EU sustainable tourism strategy.
