Tourism for Europe

Tourism is a cornerstone of the European economy and identity. It contributes to 10.5% of EU GDP, supports 12% of jobs and represents 14.6% of small and family businesses. Beyond its economic impact, tourism connects people, places and traditions across the continent.

Yet the public debate around tourism in Europe is increasingly shaped by risk-based narratives: overcrowding, environmental pressure, and social impact. These concerns are legitimate — but they are only part of the picture.

What is missing is a fuller account of what tourism, when managed well and with care, can deliver for Europe. This starts with tourism rooted in the needs and values of each place, shaped by local communities, and designed to actively contribute to the well-being of people and nature. In doing so, tourism can strengthen communities, support local economies, protect and regenerate nature, and create meaningful connections between people and places.

Tourism for Europe exists to make that story visible.

Exhibition

In January 2026, the European Travel Commission organised the Tourism for Europe, Europe for Tourism exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels. The showcase featured inspiring projects from across Europe that demonstrate how tourism can support local communities, strengthen economies and contribute to the restoration of natural and cultural heritage.

The exhibition marked the launch of the broader Tourism for Europe initiative, with its featured projects continuing to inspire audiences online through a dedicated platform and a campaign showcasing tourism that gives back.

Discover more about the exhibition: Tourism for Europe, Europe for Tourism Exhibition

Platform

Building on the exhibition, the initiative has grown into a living platform of real-life projects, from destinations all across the continent.

The website TourismForEurope.eu now gathers more stories that show how tourism can strengthen communities, regenerate nature, and support resilient local economies. It demonstrates how destinations, travel operators, accommodations, tourism businesses and other partners can embrace regenerative approaches and unlock the full potential of tourism as a force for good.

By bringing together a wide range of best practices, Tourism for Europe aims to inspire others to learn from these examples, adapt their own approaches and recognise tourism as not only an economic activity, but a strategic asset for Europe.

To give these projects and their messages a wider reach, the platform is accompanied by an ongoing communications campaign that spotlights individual stories throughout the year.

Campaign

At the heart of the campaign lies a defining insight: tourism is one of the few sectors that cannot be delocalised.

Its value is created locally, through people, places and experiences. This gives tourism a unique capacity to contribute directly to the resilience, prosperity and sustainability of European communities.

Tourism can be one of Europe’s strongest forces for positive change, creating lasting value for the places and people that make travel possible.

That belief is the foundation of Tourism for Europe. The campaign showcases how tourism can stay rooted in local communities, giving back through the people it empowers, the nature it helps regenerate and the economies it strengthens.

To bring this vision to life, the campaign is organised around three pillars, reflecting the different ways tourism can contribute to Europe’s future:

PEOPLE – Empowering Communities.
Tourism as a driver of inclusion, accessibility, and cultural vitality. Tourism can lift up communities, creating opportunities, preserving heritage, and strengthening social cohesion.
NATURE – Regenerating Environments.
Tourism as a force for environmental restoration and protection. Tourism does not only depend on nature, but it can also actively contribute to its regeneration.
ECONOMY – Strengthening Local Prosperity.
Tourism as a foundation for resilient, local economies. Tourism goes beyond income: it supports SMEs, creates jobs, and strengthens local value chains.

Explore more at Tourismforeurope.eu