European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, announced on 9 June 2026 that he will present the European Union's first-ever Strategy for Tourism later this year. In a video message to the European Sustainable Tourism Mobility Forum, Tzitzikostas outlined plans to strengthen Europe's position as the world's leading tourism destination while balancing economic growth with environmental protection and community wellbeing. The strategy aims to accelerate the transition to sustainable and digital tourism, improve resilience to climate, economic and geopolitical shocks, and support long-term competitiveness.
Tzitzikostas highlighted major challenges facing the sector, including climate change, overcrowding, labour shortages, and geopolitical instability. He noted that the tourism sector currently lacks around one million workers, with 92% of tourism SMEs reporting difficulties in finding skilled staff. To address this, he proposed the creation of a European Tourism Skills Academy, an accessible online platform providing affordable training in sustainability, digital skills, entrepreneurship, accessibility, crisis preparedness and soft skills. The academy will build on EU-funded programmes and the existing Large-Scale Skills Partnership for Tourism.
The Commissioner also pointed to ongoing initiatives such as CountEmissionsEU and the EU Flight Emissions Label, which aim to provide greater transparency on travel emissions, and the updating of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan guidelines to help local authorities plan for tourist mobility needs. He welcomed the upcoming International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism in 2027 as an opportunity to elevate tourism on the global political agenda.
Policy orientation and concrete proposals
the first-ever EU Tourism Strategy (with a commitment to present it later this year), the European Tourism Skills Academy (an online platform with specific training areas), and references to existing initiatives like CountEmissionsEU and the EU Flight Emissions Label. The policy orientation is towards increasing EU-level coordination and support for the tourism sector, shifting towards a more sustainable, digital, and resilient model. The strategy aims to make sustainability a competitive advantage for European tourism, balancing economic growth with environmental protection.
Stakeholder impacts
- EU tourism businesses and SMEs: Positive impact from the skills academy and strategy, which could help address labour shortages and improve competitiveness. However, new sustainability requirements may impose compliance costs. - EU workers and job seekers: Positive impact from training opportunities through the skills academy, potentially improving employability and career prospects in the sector. - EU consumers/tourists: Positive impact from greater transparency on emissions (Flight Emissions Label) and improved sustainable transport options, but potential for higher costs if sustainability measures are passed on. - EU local communities and destinations: Positive impact from measures to address overcrowding and promote sustainable tourism, but may face pressure to adapt infrastructure and manage tourist flows.
65 — The announcement of the first-ever EU Tourism Strategy is a significant policy development, but details are still forthcoming, and the speech largely sets out intentions rather than concrete legislative proposals.