On 20 February, the European Tourism Manifesto for Growth and Jobs and the World Travel & Tourism Council declared the urgent need for a genuine recognition of the importance of tourism. In the European Parliament, the two representative bodies presented the Tourism Legacy Paper to the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani appealing to the new European Parliament and European Commission to move towards an integrated European tourism policy with strategic funding at EU level.
In response to receiving the paper, President Tajani stated: “As always, I give my full support to the tourism industry. The European Parliament is united in its understanding that tourism is a key sector for economic and social development in Europe and needs a genuine political recognition at the EU level”.
Executive Director of the European Travel Commission, Eduardo Santander co-signed the legacy paper on behalf of the European Tourism Manifesto for Growth and Jobs, alongside his counterpart Gloria Guevara Manzo, President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The paper stresses that a holistic European approach is needed to formulate effective tourism policies taking into account the multiple impacts of the sector as well as the wide spectrum of stakeholders involved or affected by tourism.
