Both the European Tourism Convention, organised by the European Commission and the European Tourism Forum, organised by the German Council Presidency, focused on the future strategy of the EU for tourism after a year of disruption caused by COVID-19.

At both events, Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton highlighted the need to launch concrete actions to support the recovery of the tourism and travel sector. He highlighted the importance of a close cooperation between the EU institutions, national governments, and the tourism industry at the time of crisis and during the recovery phase. He also highlighted the need to focus on sustainability of tourism, and the need for tourism to have a strong position and the sector to receive funding in national recovery plans.

Discussed at the Commission event, three main action strands were presented that may form the basis of the new tourism strategy (“Tourism Agenda 2050”), namely:

1) Safe and seamless tourism experience
2) Greener holidays
3) Tourism powered by data

In advance, EBI had already signalled the main areas of interest for the boating and nautical tourism industry and will continue the discussions with the European Commission on specific elements.

If it is not in the plan, it is not in the budget: the European Tourism Manifesto alliance, the voice of the European travel and tourism sector of which EBI is a leading member, urges European Union Member States to make tourism a strategic element in their national recovery plans in order to harness the potential of the sector to generate jobs and growth, and to reap the benefits from green and digital transitions.

According to the European Commission’s Communication ‘Europe's moment: Repair and Prepare for the Next Generation’[1], travel and tourism is one of the most affected ecosystems by the COVID-19 and requires € 161 billion[2] worth of investment to bounce back to pre-crisis levels. The new Recovery and Resilience Facility[3], proposed by the Commission to help the EU rebuild after the pandemic, offers an unprecedented opportunity to support tourism and ensure that the sector helps to drive digital and green transitions, and thereby strengthens both economic and social resilience.

The aim of the Recovery and Resilience Facility is to provide large-scale financial support for reforms and investments undertaken by Member States, to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic, making the EU’s economies more sustainable and resilient. In order to benefit from this unprecedented funding opportunity, Member States must submit to the Commission as from 15 October 2020 (until April 2021) their draft recovery and resilience plans outlining national investment and reform agendas in line with the twin strategic objectives: digitalisation and sustainability.

Tourism must be firmly incorporated in the recovery and resilience plans. Meanwhile the sector needs continued support to survive and help to drive recovery. Tourism is micro/SME dominated, a composition on which Europe’s distinctiveness and appeal as a destination depends. Smaller businesses always return employment to the economy faster than larger corporations: access to short-term funding means long-term job generation. The sector accounts for 9.5% of the EU’s GDP, provides jobs to 22.6 million people[4] and has a direct impact on transport, retail, agri-food industry, and the wider economy. According to UNWTO[5], Europe saw a 66% decline in tourist arrivals in the first half of 2020 and WTTC estimates[6] that the region risks losing 29.5 million of travel and tourism jobs (80% of 2019) and losing 1,442 billion EUR in travel and tourism GDP (80% of 2019) due to the COVID-19.

The European economy and social wellbeing are clearly in danger if we do not take urgent action in building and financing the recovery of the travel and tourism sector: 1 EUR of value generated by tourism results in an additional 56 cent of added value in indirect effect on other industries[7]. Investing in tourism will provide long-term benefit to communities, visitors and business throughout Europe.

With appropriate support, tourism can be one of the most effective engines to deliver sustainable development: it supports employment across all areas and demographics, contributes to well-being, and generates revenue needed to preserve community identity, culture and heritage. It is also one of our best exports.

Tourism is transversal and its long value chain touches upon multiple sub-sectors. A healthy travel and tourism ecosystem can help achieve all four general objectives of the Recovery and Resilience Facility: promote the EU’s economic, social and territorial cohesion, strengthen the Union’s resilience, mitigate the impact of the crisis and support green and digital transitions.

It is therefore essential that impact on the travel and tourism ecosystem is an evaluation criterion for all major components of Recovery and Resilience plans. The multiplier effect of smart investment which also benefits tourism is highly significant. The European Tourism Manifesto alliance is ready to help Member States in drafting their Recovery plans to ensure that the proposed reforms and investments create a favourable environment in which tourism can develop in a sustainable and resilient way, and continue to create jobs, fostering cohesion and building the path towards a sustainable recovery from the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About the European Tourism Manifesto

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance gathers more than 60 European public and private organisations, covering the whole tourism value chain and beyond. The alliance calls on the European Union for action on key policy priorities for the tourism sector. For more information, please visit tourismmanifesto.eu.
The Secretariat and Chairmanship of the alliance are currently held by the European Travel Commission (ETC). For any enquiries, please contact us via https://tourismmanifesto.eu/contact/.

1 Communication from the European Commission ‘Europe's moment: Repair and Prepare for the Next Generation’, 27th May 2020 -https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-europe-moment-repair-prepare-next-generation.pdf
2 Commission Staff Working Document ‘Identifying Europe's recovery needs’, accompanying the document Communication from the European Commission ‘Europe's moment: Repair and Prepare for the Next Generation’, 27th May 2020 -
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/economy-finance/assessment_of_economic_and_investment_needs.pdf
3 Commission presents next steps for €672.5 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility in 2021 Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy, 17th September 2020 - https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_1659
4 WTTC, EU 2020 ANNUAL RESEARCH: KEY HIGHLIGHTS (2019 data) - https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact
5 UNWTO, World Tourism Barometer, August/September 2020 - https://www.unwto.org/news/international-tourist-numbers-down-65-in-first-half-of-2020-unwto-reports
6 https://wttc.org/News-Article/More-than-197m-Travel-Tourism-jobs-will-be-lost-due-to-prolonged-travel-restrictions
7 Communication from the European Commission ‘Tourism and transport in 2020 and beyond’, 13th May 2020 - https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-commission-tourism-transport-2020-and-beyond_en.pdf

“reboot” supports the water sports and boating industry

European Boating Industry (EBI) and boot Düsseldorf are extending their partnership by a further two years. Philip Easthill, Secretary General of European Boating Industry, which is based in Brussels, and Petros Michelidakis, boot Düsseldorf Project Director, signed the agreement in September 2020.

Easthill: “Extending the partnership with boot Düsseldorf is an important contribution to the strengthening of the European boating industry. boot will be playing a major role in the ‘rebooting’ of the industry in these difficult times. The boating industry will finally have an opportunity to present its innovations and technical developments to the international boating community again. We are delighted to be able to continue working with Petros and his team.”

The partnership between EBI and boot Düsseldorf includes the annual Breakfast Meeting of the industry at the trade fair as well as the provision of comprehensive advice about specific industry issues. The association also helps to establish key contacts to the industry and European political bodies.

Michelidakis explains: “The ongoing co-operation with EBI is crucial to boot Düsseldorf’s continued international success. It enables us to maintain effective contact with the industry between the trade fairs on-site in Düsseldorf and to remain constantly on the ball where the latest issues and questions are concerned.”

The partnership also represents a strategic relationship for boot. The aim of the co-operation is to safeguard the future of the water sports industry in Europe by focussing on its growth and needs.

The “International Breakfast Meeting” (IBM) at boot 2021 on 26. January is an important event in this context. This is where representatives of manufacturers, the EU institutions and the media as well as trade visitors will be coming together for an intensive dialogue about the upcoming water sports season.

“boot Düsseldorf has been a strong supporter of EBI for many years now and we are very proud to be able to call ourselves a boot partner”, explains Easthill, while Michelidakis adds: “Close co-operation with the European association is extremely important in this special situation. Together we will succeed in overcoming the present difficulties and stimulating the water sports industry.”
 
About boot Düsseldorf

From 23. to 31. January 2021, boot Düsseldorf is presenting yachts, boats, boards and diving equipment as well as water sports destinations and chartering companies in Halls 1 to 17 on the exhibition site in Düsseldorf. There will be plenty of activities to try out in the coming year too, such as “THE WAVE”, the 65-metre flatwater pool with the trendy new sport wingsurfing as one of the attractions, the new diving tower with panoramic views or the popular canoeing facility – with appropriately safe distancing measures guaranteed this time.

More here: https://www.boot.com/

The EU4Ocean platform was officially launched on 24th and 25th September. As founding member, EBI was invited to join the launch webinar as of one the panellists alongside the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament, stakeholders and other founding members. EBI presented the recreational boating industry and the role of boating and boat shows in getting people interested in the ocean. The overlap between ocean literacy and blue careers was also presented with the BlueGeneration project as a prime example.

The EU4Ocean Platform is one of the three key components of the EU4Ocean coalition alongside the Youth4Ocean Forum and Network of European Blue Schools. The EU4Ocean Platform will be a focal point for organizations and initiatives to connect, collaborate and mobilize efforts on ocean literacy.

EBI members and the wider industry are invited to join the EU4Ocean coalition and join the discussion ocean literacy. More information can be found here.

As part of the Green Deal, the European Commission is working on a new offshore renewable energy strategy that is planned to be adopted at the end of 2020. This should provide the strategic direction for the EU’s ambitious plans of increasing offshore wind energy in the next decades.

EBI responded to the consultation on issues relevant to the recreational boating industry, them being 1) Positioning of offshore wind parks and navigational safety and 2) Common decommissioning and recycling solutions.

The full response to the consultation can be found below for download.

The European Commission will soon launch a new climate change adaptation strategy, anticipated for early 2021. This will set out the pathway for adapting Europe, as well as industry and infrastructure to the impacts of climate change.

EBI responded to the consultation to highlight the impact of climate change on the recreational boating industry and how adaptation measures should be implemented and funding prioritised. The main areas addressed in the response were 1) Climate change impact on recreational boating and nautical tourism, 2) Potential solutions (infrastructure, supporting users) and the 3) Interaction with environmental transformation. Input to EBI’s response was also kindly provided by the ICOMIA Marinas Group and the PIANC Recreational Navigation Commission.

The full EBI response to the consultation can be found below for download.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, the voice of the European travel and tourism sector in which EBI is a leading member, calls on Member States to urgently agree on harmonised travel restrictions to help the sector survive the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. The statement called on governments to urgently approve the European Commission’s proposal and to:

• Establish common criteria and thresholds for determining epidemiological risk, including a common colour-coding system to identify risk areas. These criteria should be evaluated on a detailed regional level, considering relevant geographical factors (particularly islands).
• Implement common measures to put in place upon departure to and return from risk areas. These measures should be determined with sufficient detail and based on scientific evidence (as there is no reason to restrict travel to entire countries if only certain regions are affected), and comprise:
  • Replacing the need for quarantine of travellers with comprehensive cost-effective testing and tracing
  • Avoiding blanket restrictions to free movement by implementing more targeted measures which are limited in geographical scope
  • Avoiding imposing travel restrictions on passengers in transit
  • Agreeing on common rules for requesting pre-travel COVID-19 negative test results where needed
  • Ensuring the interoperability of contact tracing apps in the EU and the harmonization of Passenger Locator Forms based on international standards.
• Follow a common structured and transparent process to publish clear, comprehensive and timely information about any travel restrictions where these are needed. Information should also be made available on the ‘Re-open EU' web platform.

For the full statement, please click here.

The members of European Boating Industry (EBI) met for the second yearly General Assembly to discuss the latest industry developments after a turbulent first half of the year for the industry and chart the association’s future positioning. Representing Slovenia, SMIA joins as new full member and IMCI joins as sustaining member, growing EBI’s network across Europe.

Taking place virtually on 9 September, members discussed the future positioning of the association, providing support and a strong platform for its advocacy activities at EU level. Five new position papers were presented on international trade, VAT, Environment, Nautical Tourism, and Industry & Single Market policy following a six-month development process (to be found here). These offer a clear overview of EBI’s positions and will continue to be developed in the next years.

Members also discussed the latest developments related to COVID-19 that will remain in the focus of EBI’s activities in the coming months. Supporting boating companies in the recovery and working towards a successful 2021 season will take centre-place. Since the start of the crisis, EBI has led the industry’s engagement through dozens of meetings with Members of the European Parliament, Member State representations, and European Commissioners to successfully present the concerns of the recreational boating industry. EBI has also been updating its members and the wider industry of the latest developments at EU level regarding COVID-19, as well as working with its key partners.

The General Assembly of EBI accepted the application of the Slovenian Marine Industry Association (SMIA) to join as full member representing Slovenia. Founded in 2016, the association represents producers and service providers, contributing to the export of Slovenian know-how. SMIA supports companies in dealing with challenges in foreign markets, represents them in front of state institutions, and works to increase the visibility of Slovenian expertise in the nautical industry in the long term. Around 1,800 people are employed in the Slovenian recreational boating industry. For more on SMIA, please find their website here: http://www.smia.eu/en/home/

EBI is also delighted to announce that the International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI) was accepted as a sustaining member. IMCI is an EU-based, independent, non-profit organisation committed to adding value to the worldwide recreational craft industry by assessing compliance of companies, products, services and experts with the highest recognised standards of quality and safety. IMCI is believed to be the market leader with regards to the CE certification of products under the Recreational Craft Directive. For more on IMCI, please find their website here: https://www.imci.org/