Proposal for a Council Recommendation on European Tourism Quality Principles

Tourism represents the third largest socioeconomic activity in the EU in terms of contribution to GDP and employment, after the trade and distribution and construction sectors. It is one of the few economic sectors which register continuous growth, in spite of economic and financial difficulties, presenting thereby a great potential to contribute to "Europe 2020", the EU's growth strategy for a smart, sustainable and inclusive EU economy.

With some 1.8 million businesses, primarily SMEs, this sector employs approximately 3.3% of EU workforce (about 8 million jobs) and generates about 2.9% of EU GDP. Taking into account the sectors linked to it, its indirect contribution is even greater: it is estimated to provide around 8.5% of all jobs (approximately 18.8 million people employed) and generates about 7.9% of the European Union's GDP. Despite increasing competition from other regions of the world, the EU is the world's No 1 tourist destination, with 384.8 million international arrivals in 2011.

With the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU has now been given the competence to complement the action of the Member States in the tourism sector, in particular by promoting the competitiveness of Union undertakings in that sector.

In response to the new powers granted to it and to the need for new measures to stimulate EU growth, the Commission adopted a Communication in 2010 on a new political framework for tourism in Europe. This framework outlines an ambitious set of actions aiming at (a) stimulating competitiveness in the European tourism sector; (b) promoting the development of sustainable, responsible and high-quality tourism; (c) consolidating the image and profile of Europe as home to sustainable and high-quality destinations; and (d) maximising the potential of EU policies and financial instruments for developing tourism.

Action 13 of the Communication explicitly envisages the development of a European Tourism Quality Label, "based on existing national experience, to increase consumer security and confidence in tourism products and reward rigorous efforts by tourism professionals whose aim is quality of tourism service for customer satisfaction".

The current initiative must also be seen in the context of the Commission’s initiative to brand Europe in third countries and within this the “Destination Europe 2020” initiative, as well as the EU visa policy which facilitates the travel of non-EU nationals to the EU to help Europe remain the world’s No 1 tourist destination.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)85: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:085:FIN

ESO: Background information: New tourism quality principles – Good for tourists, good for small enterprises http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-new-tourism-quality-principles-good-for-tourists-good-for-small-enterprises/

ESO: Background information: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - A European strategy for more growth and jobs in coastal and maritime tourism http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-the-council-the-european-economic-and-social-committee-and-the-committee-of-the-regions-a-european-strategy-for-more-growth-and-jobs-in/

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