Reflecting on an eventful month for the Sustainable Tourism partnership

October has been an intensive and productive month for the members and coordinators of the Thematic Partnership on Sustainable Tourism. They have collaboratively engaged in a series of meetings and events with the goal of propelling the progress of a draft Action Plan.

Nourishing Europe's Values with Sustainable Tourism

On Tuesday, October 10th, the partnership convened a workshop during the European Week of Regions and Cities under the title "Nourishing Europe's Values with Sustainable Tourism". This event provided a valuable platform for the partnership to engage with stakeholders from across the European Union. The audience comprised representatives from various governance levels, private organisations, and academic institutions, creating a diverse and engaging forum for discussion and support as the partnership refined its approach to the Action Plan.

Barbara Poggio, the Sustainable Tourism Partnership Coordinator representing the City of Genoa, kicked off the discussion by providing an overview of the partnership's status. Following this, Prof. Christian Ost from ICHEC Brussels Management School, drawing on his extensive experience in EU projects Be.CULTOUR and CLIC, stressed the importance of thinking innovatively, reimagining tourism, empowering stakeholders, and building capacity and expertise in the field. Rounding out the speakers, Ramune Genzbigelyte-Venturi from DG Grow underlined the need for the partnership to consider major global events such as climate change, energy crises, and conflicts when setting priorities for sustainable tourism. Ms. Genzbigelyte-Venturi also emphasised the significance of aligning with current EU policies, referring to the Transition Pathway for Tourism, published in 2022 by the European Commission as well as the adoption of the European Tourism Agenda 2030 by the Council of the European Union at the close of 2022.

The valuable feedback collected during the workshop, facilitated by EUI expert Daniela Patti, will significantly inform the partnership's ongoing discussions, aiding in the selection and design of future actions in the coming weeks and months.

Tourism Innovation Summit

The partnership found further inspiration at the Tourism Innovation Summit in Seville, where they gathered one week later. This globally renowned event in the tourism sector provided an opportunity to engage with stakeholders from around the world and gain insights into the evolving trends within the industry. It proved to be an ideal setting for the Urban Agenda partnership on Sustainable Tourism to gauge the industry's current pulse and comprehend the emerging trends.

Partnership Meeting

Both the workshop at the European Week of Regions and Cities and the participation in the Tourism Innovation Summit have supplied the partnership with fresh ideas and inspiration for the development of their draft Action Plan. Last week, immediately following the Innovation Summit in Seville, the partnership organised a dedicated meeting. This gathering enabled various working groups within the partnership to present their activities and propose concrete actions to be considered for the Action Plan.

The partnership is diligently working towards publishing a draft Action Plan by the end of this year, with a final Action Plan slated for delivery in the first half of the next year.

To access additional details regarding the Sustainable Tourism Partnership, kindly navigate to the designated webpage on the Urban Agenda for the EU website. It's worth noting that on this page, you will also discover the partnership's Orientation Paper, offering a comprehensive understanding of the scope of work envisioned by this partnership.