Lisbon, Jan. 21, 2021 (Lusa) – Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton on Thursday argued that the EU Recovery Fund and budget should be used to help tourism "to emerge more resilient to the crises ahead".

The commissioner, who was speaking by videoconference at an international forum on education, employment and training in tourism, considered that the pandemic could act as "an accelerator of change" for the tourism sector, and to this end "industry, public authorities, social partners, education and trade providers should join forces".

"We should not leave aside a long-term perspective and how to have a more resilient tourism," Breton stressed.

For the Commissioner, the money from the Recovery Fund ("NextGenerationEU") and the EU's multi-annual budget, an overall package of €1.8 trillion, should be targeted at the sector with "a dual objective: to act in the short term and boost long-term investment for the simple transformation of tourism into green and digital".

A similar position was taken by the economy minister, Pedro Siza Vieira, who pointed to the importance of European economic instruments in the recovery and transformation of the tourism sector to make it greener and more 'digital'.

"As we begin to prepare for the implementation of European 'NextGenerationEU' funds, we are also considering how best to prepare our societies and our economies for the challenges of tomorrow," said Siza Vieira.

In this way, he stressed, "tomorrow's society and economy will be more digital, more sustainable and certainly more resilient".

For the minister, who is also responsible for digital transition, digital technologies will be "fundamental" in the future of tourism, especially in the selection of destinations, in acts of purchase and payment, in contact between companies and customers, among others.

In the context of the Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, which began on January 1, Siza Vieira considers it "opportune" to pay attention to tourism, from the moment it restarts at the level of investment, so that the skills of human resources employed in the sector are "up to date with the critical skills that will be required for the future".

The "International Forum - Education, Employment and Training in Tourism" was organised by the Ministry of the Economy and Digital Transition, under the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council, and by Tourism of Portugal, to discuss the recovery, development and innovation of this sector of the economy.

JAYG/AYLS // AYLS

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