Fact Sheets on the European Union
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Tourism

The EU supports member countries in developing sustainable, competitive tourism that creates jobs and protects travellers’ rights. Although tourism remains primarily a national responsibility, the EU coordinates cross-border initiatives, collects data to inform policy, and funds projects promoting lesser-known destinations and green tourism practices. EU legislation also protects package holidaymakers and regulates short-term rental accommodation.

Legal basis

Article 6(d) and Title XXII, Article 195, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

Objectives

The EU’s core tourism industry, comprising traditional holiday and tourism service providers, consists of 2.3 million businesses, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), employing approximately 12.3 million people.

Contributing 10% of the EU’s GDP, tourism is a vital economic driver, significantly impacting growth, employment and social development, which makes it a valuable asset in addressing economic downturns and unemployment.

EU policy aims to preserve Europe’s position as a top tourist destination, while maximising the industry’s contribution to growth and employment, and fostering collaboration among the EU countries, particularly through the exchange of good practices.

Results

A. General policy

Since 2001, the Commission has published several communications, outlining its policy guidelines for the development of the tourism sector:

B. Special measures

1. Measures benefiting tourists (travellers and/or holidaymakers):

Other measures:

  • The EDEN initiative promotes European ‘destinations of excellence’ – lesser-known or emerging tourist destinations committed to sustainability. Its successor, the European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, rewards smaller destinations that have promoted sustainable tourism through green transition practices.
  • The European Capital of Smart Tourism recognises cities for outstanding achievements in sustainability, accessibility, digitalisation and cultural heritage.
  • European Green Belt is a 6 800 km network from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea, designed to convert the former Iron Curtain into a cross-border walking and cycling route. In an effort to diversify tourism across Europe, the EU also co-finances cross-border sustainable tourism projects.
  • The DiscoverEU programme, along with other tourism promotion programmes, allows 18-year-old Europeans to explore the EU and experience its diverse cultures.

2. Responsible tourism measures designed to benefit the tourism industry and regions

The Commission facilitates the creation of networks among the main European tourist regions, with the EU offering a range of funding sources to support tourism’s role in regional development and job creation:

In 2022, the Commission proposed creating an EU-wide system for protecting geographical indications of non-agricultural products, including handicrafts. Often deeply rooted in local identity, these products are also a significant draw for tourists. One of the aims of the initiative is to boost regional economies and tourism in the areas concerned. This led to the adoption of a regulation protecting geographical indications for craft and industrial products (Regulation (EU) 2023/2411).

In 2024, a regulation on data collection and sharing related to short-term accommodation rental services was adopted (Regulation (EU) 2024/1028). With a focus on SMEs in particular, this initiative seeks to develop responsible, transparent and fair growth in short-term rentals as part of a well-balanced tourist ecosystem, allowing cities affected by tourism to work towards sustainability and to ensure a good quality of life for their residents.

Harmonised statistics on tourism have been gathered in the EU since 1996.

In 2011, the regulation on European tourism statistics (Regulation (EU) No 692/2011) established a common framework for the systematic development, production and dissemination of European tourism statistics collected in the Member States.

In 2013, the Commission established a Virtual Tourism Monitoring Centre for the collection and storage of tourism data, to improve data coordination and policy synergy.

In 2022, the Commission launched the EU tourism dashboard, one of the measures proposed in the Commission’s 2022 Transition pathway for tourism. This tool enhances access to tourism statistics and helps monitor progress in green and digital transitions, ultimately supporting regional and national policymakers in shaping tourism policies and strategies.

In 2023, the Commission published its proposal Towards a Common European Tourism Data Space: boosting data sharing and innovation across the tourism ecosystem, aiming to create a centralised tourism data sharing environment and drive digitalisation in tourism further, ultimately enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector. To deploy the European Tourism Data Space, the DEPLOYTOUR project implements this initiative through five pilot projects across Europe.

3. Other focused measures

In March 2019, the Commission organised a Showcase Conference on Tourism.

In 2024, the Commission published a proposal on an EU Digital Travel application to digitalise travel documents, which is expected to streamline travel and positively impact the tourism industry.

4. Measures in response to COVID-19

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, which caused a 44% decline in European tourist arrivals, the EU deployed comprehensive measures to support the tourism sector. The Commission introduced rapid response tools including suspending airport slot rules, passenger rights guidelines and border check protocols, followed by its May 2020 communication on tourism and transport recovery. Parliament adopted multiple resolutions calling for coordinated support, while the EU established the Digital COVID Certificate in March 2021 to facilitate safe travel across Member States. These efforts culminated in the February 2022 Transition Pathway for Tourism and the December 2022 EU Agenda for Tourism 2030, both emphasising digital and green transitions alongside enhanced resilience for the sector.

Role of the European Parliament

Parliament was active in adopting resolutions on Commission guidelines and initiatives on tourism well before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.

In 2011, Parliament adopted a resolution on Europe, the world’s No 1 tourism destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe.

In 2015, Parliament adopted its position on a directive on package travel (Directive (EU) 2015/2302), aimed at improving the protection of package tour travellers. This directive is currently being revised with a view to enhancing such protection. In the same year, Parliament adopted a resolution on new challenges and concepts for the promotion of tourism in Europe, which addresses digitisation of distribution channels, changing consumer behaviour, the need to attract and retain skilled staff, demographic change and seasonality.

In 2019, Parliament adopted a resolution on the negative impact of the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook on EU tourism. In 2021, it adopted a resolution on establishing an EU strategy for sustainable tourism, which called for a rebuilding of the EU tourism sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening its transition to sustainable, responsible and smart tourism. In 2022, Parliament passed a resolution on the impact of the Russian illegal war of aggression against Ukraine on the EU transport and tourism sectors. In 2023, Parliament continued adopting other relevant resolutions including on the implementation of the updated new industrial strategy for Europe: aligning spending to policy and on the assessment of the new Commission communication on outermost regions.

Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism and its Tourism Task Force (TTF) holds regular discussions with representatives of international tourism bodies and key stakeholders of the tourism industry. The TTF has also called for a more consistent tourism policy and repeatedly raised the issue of a separate EU budget line for tourism.

 

Davide Pernice