Focus on destination Europe

A 1,000-year-old culture and history, without equals or rivals, has given us the world’s largest and richest collection of global heritage sites. From the smallest and most isolated Greek island, to the lakes and forests of Finland; from Portuguese cliffs at the head of the Atlantic, to the mediaeval castles adorning the Carpathians; from ancient Roman ruins to Stonehenge’s megaliths. Europe is truly the best destination for everything – from a vacation to a simple weekend getaway.

Less than a year ago, I assumed the mandate of vice-president of the European Commission for industry and was also tasked with the new and specific responsibility of drawing up a European policy on tourism. The enormous, and still largely unexpressed, potential of this strategic division has been the source of strong and continuous efforts by my colleagues and me.

At the end of June, after fewer than five months of intensive work, we presented the Communication Europe: The World’s No. 1 Tourist Destination – A New Political Framework For Tourism In Europe. Before and after adopting this important document, we continued to collect proposals and suggestions to enrich our work, aided by countless meetings with stakeholders in the sector. These include the European Tourism Stakeholders, convened in Madrid last April.

When we describe a trip, we inevitably speak about either ourselves or our most genuine passions: culture, art, food, entertainment, landscapes, nature, meetings, old and new discoveries. I remain firmly convinced that tourism is an extraordinary indicator of our quality of life and our socio-economic development. The importance of the tourism sector in Europe is not limited to sales, which come to about €600 billion, equivalent to 10 per cent of the gross domestic product of the European Union, including the allied industries. Additionally, it is worth considering that 22 million personnel are employed, equivalent to 12 per cent o the EU’s internal labour force.

Consequently, tourism exercises an incredible flywheel effect, in terms of occupation and competitiveness, on many other economic and productivity sectors. Today and tomorrow in Malta, we will discuss how to strengthen competitiveness and sustainable growth in the industry of tourism. During this event, I will convene the ministers and representatives of the principal European federations on the occasion of the European Forum of Tourism.

Last December’s Treaty of Lisbon opened new frontiers for European tourism, recognising the economic and strategic weight of the sector and granting the Commission specific competences in the development of coordinated policies. Fully respecting the principle of subsidiary, Europe is able to provide its added value to the actions already undertaken at the national and regional level in member states. Our objective is ambitious and stated: to make Europe a single destination. Both internal and external fluxes – notably from third country visitors – must benefit from all the advantages and benefits of a single tourism market. For this reason, we are focusing on the diversification of options on tourism and on the innovation of products and services, which are evermore crossing frontiers.

Despite the temporary halt in airline transportation during Iceland’s volcanic eruptions, the latest data on international arrivals in the first semester of 2010 indicate a dynamic recovery for the entire division of European tourism. The numbers are clear: There has been a strong augmentation of arrivals from Brazil (+46 per cent), China (+19 per cent) and Russia (+18 per cent) compared to the same period in 2009. These very visitors originate from the BRIC countries (namely, Brazil, Russia, India and China), which presents a new and essential opportunity to reinforce the competitiveness of European tourism.

I would like to cite another trend, which is more than eloquent on its own. According to a recent study by the European Travel Commission, our Asian tourists comprise 38 per cent of total visitors at present (compared to 57 per cent of Americans). But that’s not all: Asians are destined to make up 47 per cent of tourism in 2020, cancelling the US’s primacy, whose numbers will fall to 48 per cent. In other words, within the next 10 years, one out of two tourists coming to Europe will come from Asia. The incremental growth of visitors from the East will be a Copernican revolution for our operators who, until present, were used to focusing on the West, on the other side of the Atlantic.

The rise of the middle class – or, to be more accurate, of a veritable “Bourgeois” class – in the emerging economies is an open challenge we must win in order to bolster our global leadership as leading worldwide destination.

We can do this in the first place through an integrated offer at the European level that overcomes the archaic and counterproductive logic of internal competition between operators to “snatch” tourists away from competitors. Cooperation among all the interested parts is a winning formula with benefits for all as it allows us to pursue two priorities: 1) deseasonalisation, or, at least, lengthen the touristic season so it covers every period of the year; 2) favouring long stays, particularly those of non-EU visitors, facilitating movements and visits in a greater number of member states across the EU.

In light of these objectives, we have at least two instruments available that must be further developed. First and foremost are the big events, such as the 2012 London Olympics, for example, or the universal 2015 Milan Expo. A Chinese tourist called to London for a sporting event must be incentivised to pursue further discoveries beyond the English Channel, descending into France, Spain, concluding for example his European visit with a swim along the banks of the Mediterranean. It is the logic of the “Grand Tour” that – if a defining trait in the 18th century of a new and potential bourgeoisie in northern Europe – re-emerges today in a modern version, with the new emergent classes of China, Russia and other third countries.

Another important instrument is seen in facilitating visas aimed at tourism, favouring in particular groups and organised parties. At the moment, we are working on this front as well because we know it holds important security implications. I believe an efficient solution consists in issuing a single “visa” to the head of the group who, assuming the responsibility of the other listed members, will help us to trim the bureaucratic red tape that obstructs tourism growth in Europe.

During the forum of Malta, we will put forth an expanded plan of action in order to ensure a full and efficient implementation of the communication on tourism policy, launched less than five months ago.

I will only cite a few of the proposed initiatives. Most notably, the setting up of a special platform for the information and communications technology applied to tourism. Additionally, the implementation of a European virtual observatory for tourism will help us increase socio-economic information on the sector, which is a fundamental instrument to guide discourses and policies. Finally, the European quality label will recognise superior tourism services and products.

The totality of these themes will figure into our two-day agenda of meetings and working groups in Malta. We expect a further and stronger push in the competitiveness and sustainable development of this industry.

The author is vice-president of the European Commission responsible for industry and tourism.