Call for a European Year on Tourism

Question for written answer to the Commission
Rule 130
Claudia Tapardel (S&D), Francisco José Millán Mon (PPE), Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández (S&D), Luis de Grandes Pascual (PPE), Cristian Dan Preda (PPE), Alfred Sant (S&D), Eric Andrieu (S&D), Miltiadis Kyrkos (S&D), Enrico Gasbarra (S&D), Aldo Patriciello (PPE), Renaud Muselier (PPE), Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (PPE), Eva Kaili (S&D), Theodoros Zagorakis (PPE), Isabella De Monte (S&D), Nicola Caputo (S&D), Emil Radev (PPE), Franc Bogovič (PPE), Brando Benifei (S&D), Salvatore Domenico Pogliese (PPE), István Ujhelyi (S&D), Sofia Ribeiro (PPE), Igor Šoltes (Verts/ALE), Lucy Anderson (S&D), Marek Plura (PPE), Georgi Pirinski (S&D), Antonio Tajani (PPE), Theresa Griffin (S&D), Isabella Adinolfi (EFDD), Seán Kelly (PPE), Momchil Nekov (S&D), Esteban González Pons (PPE), Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar (PPE), Fernando Maura Barandiarán (ALDE), Alberto Cirio (PPE)

Date: 08-04-2015

E-005533/2015

Question:
The Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, whose portfolio includes tourism policy, delivered a speech at the ‘Spain Global Tourism Forum’ on 27 January 2015.
In that speech, the Commissioner outlined eight common actions aimed at advancing and stimulating the European tourism industry. One of the common actions related to branding Europe as a top destination for tourists from all over the world.
Along these lines, we believe that a way of achieving this goal is to establish a European Year on Tourism. Such an initiative would promote the diversity of European tourism and help raise the profile of the various players active in the tourism sector.
Given that the last Year on Tourism was in 1990, would the Commission consider designating another European Year on Tourism in its current mandate?

Answer given by Ms Bieńkowska on behalf of the Commission (23.6.2015)

The idea of a European Year for Tourism could contribute to promoting the diversity of European tourism and help raising the profile of the various players active in the tourism sector. The Commission takes note of the idea of the Honourable Members.

However, it is important to underline that such an initiative requires support and approval both from the European Parliament and from the Member States. Its implementation process is complex as it requires the preparation of a detailed plan of actions to be implemented throughout one year and a sufficient dedicated budget.

Bearing in mind the above, the Commission will reflect on the possibility of having a European Year for Tourism in the future.

Maltese Version: E-005533/2015 – Artikolu 130 tar-Regoli ta’ Proċedura

Claudia Tapardel (S&D), Francisco José Millán Mon (PPE), Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández (S&D), Luis de Grandes Pascual (PPE), Cristian Dan Preda (PPE), Alfred Sant (S&D), Eric Andrieu (S&D), Miltiadis Kyrkos (S&D), Enrico Gasbarra (S&D), Aldo Patriciello (PPE), Renaud Muselier (PPE), Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (PPE), Eva Kaili (S&D), Theodoros Zagorakis (PPE), Isabella De Monte (S&D), Nicola Caputo (S&D), Emil Radev (PPE), Franc Bogovič (PPE), Brando Benifei (S&D), Salvatore Domenico Pogliese (PPE), István Ujhelyi (S&D), Sofia Ribeiro (PPE), Igor Šoltes (Verts/ALE), Lucy Anderson (S&D), Marek Plura (PPE), Georgi Pirinski (S&D), Antonio Tajani (PPE), Theresa Griffin (S&D), Isabella Adinolfi (EFDD), Seán Kelly (PPE), Momchil Nekov (S&D), Esteban González Pons (PPE), Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar (PPE), Fernando Maura Barandiarán (ALDE) u Alberto Cirio (PPE)
Suġġett: Sejħa għal Sena Ewropea dwar it-turiżmu
Il-Kummissarju għas-Suq Intern, l-Industrija, l-Intraprenditorija u l-SMEs, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, li l-portafoll tagħha jinkludi l-politika tat-turiżmu, tat diskors matul il-‘Forum tat-Turiżmu Globali ta’ Spanja’ fis-27 ta’ Jannar 2015.
F’dak id-diskors, Il-Kummissarju spjegat fil-qosor tmien azzjonijiet komuni intiżi biex jippromwovu u jistimulaw l-industrija Ewropea tat-turiżmu. Waħda minn dawn l-azzjonijiet komuni kienet relatata mal-immarkar tal-Ewropa bħala d-destinazzjoni ewlenija għat-turisti minn madwar id-dinja kollha.
Fuq dawn il-linji, aħna nemmnu li mod wieħed kif nilħqu dan l-għan huwa li nistabbilixxu Sena Ewropea dwar it-Turiżmu. Tali inizjattiva tkun tista’ tippromwovi d-diversità tat-turiżmu Ewropew u tgħin biex tagħti aktar prominenza lil bosta atturi attivi fis-settur tat-turiżmu.
Minħabba li l-aħħar Sena dwar it-Turiżmu kienet fl-1990, il-Kummissjoni tikkunsidra li tniedi Sena Ewropea dwar it-Turiżmu oħra fil-mandat attwali tagħha?

Tweġiba tas-Sinjura Bieńkowska f’isem il-Kummissjoni (23.6.2015)

L-idea ta’ Sena Ewropea tat-Turiżmu tista’ tikkontribwixxi għall-promozzjoni tad-diversità tat-turiżmu Ewropew u tgħin biex tgħolli l-profil tad-diversi atturi attivi fis-settur tat-turiżmu. Il-Kummissjoni tieħu nota tal-idea tal-Onorevoli Membri.

Madankollu, huwa importanti li jiġi enfasizzat li din l-inizjattiva teħtieġ l-appoġġ u l-approvazzjoni kemm mill-Parlament Ewropew kif ukoll mill-Istati Membri. Il-proċess ta’ implimentazzjoni ta’ din l-inizjattiva huwa kumpless peress li teħtieġ it-tħejjija ta’ pjan dettaljat ta’ azzjonijiet li għandhom jiġu implimentati matul sena waħda kif ukoll baġit dedikat suffiċjenti.

Fid-dawl ta’ dan, il-Kummissjoni se tirrifletti dwar il-possibbiltà li fil-ġejjieni jkun hemm Sena Ewropea tat-Turiżmu.