EU to launch ‘Erasmus for tourists’

Preview and reports of an Informal Meeting of EU Tourism Ministers and a Conference of Tourism Chiefs, Madrid, 14-15 April 2010.

The Treaty of Lisbon recognised the importance of tourism and, for the first time, provided for a specific EU competence in the field, where decisions will be adopted by codecision and qualified majority voting.

Some of the issues taken up during the Conference of European tourism chiefs (14 and 15 April) included: ‘Innovation and Competitiveness in Tourism’, ‘Sustainable and Socially Responsible Tourism’ and ‘Reinforcing the Tourist Image of Europe’. The Informal Meeting of EU Tourism Ministers followed the Conference.

• Primary Source

Spain: EU Presidency: Press Release, 14.4.10: Informal Meeting of Tourism Ministers in Madrid http://www.eu2010.es/en/documentosynoticias/noticias/abr14_previoturismo.html

European Commission: DG Enterprise and Industry: Sectors: Tourism http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/index_en.htm

European Commission: Press Release, IP/10/423: A new strategic vision for the EU's Tourism Policy http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/423&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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