Ministers meeting at the Competitiveness Council held in Luxembourg on 12 October exchaged views about the Communication put forward by the European Commission proposing twenty-one new measures in support of tourism. In its conclusions, Council endorses Commission's proposals for actions to promote the tourism industry, a very promising sector in terms of turnover and employment potential.

European tourism industry is a dynamic sector in the European Union which is currently the third sector of the economy in terms of jobs and turnover, employing 9.7 million people in 1.8 million enterprises, mainly SMEs, and generating over 5% of EU's GDP.

Although the industry has a significant growth potential and many promising opportunities for development, it is important to take note that  the long-term competitiveness of the European tourism industry depends on the sustainable nature of its development, and that a competitive and responsible tourism sector is therefore a key element of Europe 2020 strategy and the flagship initiatives of this strategy, notably the "Industrial Policy in the Era of Globalisation" initiative.

For those reasons, the Council has welcomed the Commission's Communication entitled ‘Europe, the world's No 1 tourist destination - a new political framework for tourism in Europe’, considering that actions in support of tourism may be organised on the basis of the four axes outlined in that communication, i.e., stimulating competitiveness in the European tourism sector; promoting the development of sustainable, responsible and high-quality tourism; consolidating the image and profile of Europe as a collection of sustainable and high-quality destinations; and, maximising the potential of EU policies and existing financial instruments for developing tourism.

Council recommendations to the European Commission on EU Tourism political framework

• Gather further evidence, consult widely, and analyse the European and plurinational added value of the actions and initiatives addressing the key issues mentioned above, as set out in detail in its Communication.
• Consider these actions further in light of the upcoming talks on the action implementation plan involving Member States and EU tourism stakeholders, to be discussed in the context of the European Tourism Forum on 18 and 19 November 2010, thus providing a fresh impetus to European tourism policy.
• Continue its regular exchange of views with Member States and the tourism industry, using existing structures without creating unnecessary administrative burdens.
• Report to the Council on the results of these actions and initiatives before the end of 2013 by means of a mid-term review.

An integrated approach ensuring that tourism is taken into account in other policies, including structural policies at European, national and regional level, is also needed. This approach may consist of a certain number of actions of a European dimension and with a multiannual duration, which should be evidence-based and provide clear European added value; such actions should fully respect the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality as defined by the Treaty.