The European Union and tourism: challenges and policy responses

Briefing 10-03-2014

As the third largest socio-economic activity in the EU, tourism is important for growth and employment. Despite the depth of the economic crisis, the tourist industry in the EU has proved resilient with numbers of tourist trips remaining high. However, long-term trends suggest Europe is losing position in the global marketplace, with new destinations gaining ever growing market share. The Lisbon Treaty provides for faster and easier decision-making on EU measures in the field of tourism. Drawing on the new Treaty provisions, the European Commission has prepared a new policy framework, whose main objective is to make European tourism more competitive, modern, sustainable and responsible.