Duurzaam en veerkrachtig toerisme in de Europese Unie: strategie voor een evenwichtig en adaptief beheer

- welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the EU’s sustainable tourism strategy, conceived as a common framework that, while respecting subsidiarity and proportionality, will make it possible to (i) manage a growing and diverse influx of tourists without undermining territorial quality, coexistence or the tourist experience, and (ii) link tourism to European regions’ pathways to growth and well-being, ensuring that it acts as a real driver of shared prosperity;

- recognises that, although tourism accounts for 9.7% of GDP and 11.1% of employment in the EU-27, its financial contribution may be compromised if it is not managed in a balanced and sustainable way. Its benefits are often cancelled out by negative effects on social cohesion, housing, the environment or cultural heritage;

- underlines the need for a change of approach, moving from sectoral approaches to a systemic vision of tourism that considers territorial diversity, drives innovation and promotes participatory governance;

- calls for the development of specific tools to measure sustainable tourism development beyond market shares or tourist flows, through a European system of comparable and harmonised indicators;

- points out that coastal and island regions that are tourist destinations are particularly vulnerable ;

- is concerned about the unregulated growth of short-term tourist rentals and its impact on access to housing, on social cohesion and on the functioning of public services ;

- urges the Commission and the Council to turn the forthcoming EU sustainable tourism strategy into an action plan with resources, a timetable and evaluation mechanisms ;

- suggests a joint annual conference held by the Commission and theCoR on European Tourism day.