Tourism and transport / Follow-up

Key points

The EESC:

• highlights that tourism will not return to its pre-pandemic level: global interdependency, and greener and more digital tendencies in consumer behaviour will determine new business models;
• asks EU/Member State/regional institutions, social partners and wider civil society organisations if they are committed to relaunching investments in the long term by taking a comprehensive approach in order to support the construction of a blue economy framework and a joint tourist agenda for 2030/2050, identify appropriate funding pathways and extend credit, since there will be no cash flow for tourism SMEs after the pandemic;
• asks that new policies be introduced, allocating sufficient financial resources to save the sector, and that a long-term sustainable, smart and responsible European tourism policy be developed. Moreover, a specific EU budget line for tourism is needed, as well as ensuring proper governance in order to implement strategic policy actions, including creating a European Tourism Agency;
• proposes setting up a permanent EU or national high-level expert "Micro and Small Business Liquidity and Investment Task Force", including the tourism and transportation ecosystems, that could facilitate and support the implementation of the recovery measures.

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat.