Taking holidays is a human right

"As Commissioner for Transport I successfully defended passengers’ rights. The next step is to safeguard their right to be tourists." Antonio Tajani
In his opening address at the European Tourism Stakeholders’ Conference in Madrid, Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission with responsibility for industry and entrepreneurship declared taking holidays as a right. He said that as the person responsible for Europe’s policies in this economic sector, it is his firm belief that the way in which we spend our holidays is an excellent indicator of our quality of life. He insisted that unrivalled tourism resources must become fully accessible to those for whom travelling is difficult: the elderly and persons with reduced mobility. The sector’s operators are aware that ensuring (and facilitating) travel and holidays for tens of millions of persons with reduced mobility nowadays represents a challenge within a challenge.
In addition to accessibility, attention must also be paid to young persons and families at a disadvantage who – for various reasons – also face difficulties in exercising their full right to tourism.
It quite clear that tourism plays a key role in promoting development and social and economic integration in rural, outlying or slow-growing regions but one not underestimate the extent to which tourism – developed sustainably – provides local economies with a lasting source of income and stable employment while enabling them to safeguard and capitalise on landscape, cultural, historical and environmental resources.
Challenges facing tourism now and later
• the capacity of tourism businesses to innovate and adopt new technologies;
• the difficulties in access to funding;
• the pressures to guarantee sustainable yet competitive development;
• climate change;
• and, finally, increasing international competition.
Solutions
• stimulating competitiveness and innovation in the tourism industry in the European Union;
• promoting sustainable and responsible tourism in the EU and in the emerging and developing countries;
• reinforcing the image and profile of Europe as a set of sustainable and high-quality destinations among European and third-country citizens;
• finally, integrating tourism into the financial policies and instruments of the EU.
Examples to be used:
1 - Stimulating competitiveness and innovation in the tourism industry in the EU
Improvement of the socio-economic knowledge base of tourism and of the related activities, in particular by means of studies, surveys and statistics to be produced in close cooperation with international organisations such as the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
2- Promoting sustainable and responsible tourism in the EU and in the emerging and developing countries
Recognition and guaranteed respect for the “five pillars” of the sustainability of European tourism:
• economic,
• social,
• territorial,
• environmental
• and cultural sustainability.
3- Consolidating the image of Europe as a set of sustainable and high-quality destinations among European and third-country citizens
Enhance the image and perception of Europe as a set of sustainable and high-quality tourist destinations.
4 – Integrating tourism into EU policies and financial instruments
Integration of the interests of the European tourism industry into the other Community policies.
Key areas for development
• cultural tourism,
• wine and food tourism,
• religious and monastery tourism,
• sporting tourism,
• conference tourism,
• eco-tourism,
• health tourism, particularly spa tourism.
He ended his speech by quoting St Augustine, in his capacity as a great philosopher referring to the topic of “travel” “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page”.