Top
  • 14-05-2021 13:03

EU/Presidency: Commissioner calls for sustainable tourism to combat 'frailties'


Lisbon, May 14, 2021 (Lusa) - The European commissioner for cohesion and reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said on Friday that the pandemic "accentuated pre-existing weaknesses" in the tourism sector and called for the development of a "sustainable tourism model fit for the digital world".

"The Covid-19 has accentuated pre-existing weaknesses in some parts of our tourism sector. We need to diversify activities to move tourism away from low-paid seasonal employment, increase the value chain and develop a sustainable tourism model suited to the digital world," she said.

Elisa Ferreira, who was speaking at the opening session of the High-Level Forum on Sustainability and Tourism, organised by the ministry of the economy and digital transition, as part of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), stressed the need to "better rebuild" the tourism sector, orienting it "towards the future".

She said, "there are already many good examples of projects funded" by the EU in this sector. Still, there is now "a new specific objective" that "recognises the potential of a modernised tourism sector to transform regional economies".

"In particular, we want to support digital solutions and environmentally friendly projects, including circular economy and carbon-neutral solutions, as well as initiatives that welcome diversification of the sector," she specified.

The EU's multi-annual budget for 2021-2027 and the Recovery and Resilience Fund, representing a total of €1.8 billion, are, according to the commissioner, "an opportunity of a lifetime to invest in the future of this sector".

"Between the expansion of cohesion policy and the Recovery and Resilience Fund, many countries and regions will see EU support double or even triple over the next three to four years. Let's all make the most of this opportunity to rebuild better," she stressed.

BYC/ADB // ADB.

Lusa