The importance of sustainable tourism for growth and prosperity was the focus of the meeting between TUI Group CEO Sebastian Eber, Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism Jordi Herreu Bojer and Tourism Minister Rosario Sánchez Grau. Tourism plays a key role as an economic driver and employer in many Southern European countries. In Spain, tourism will account for 12.8% of the gross domestic product in 2023 and is expected to increase further to 13.4% this year. TUI will attract more than 6 million holidaymakers to Spain this summer, providing thousands of stable jobs in hotels, ports, airports and throughout the Spanish tourism value chain. Package travel is a key pillar of this successful tourism model. TUI CEO Sebastian Eber therefore also used the meeting in Madrid to discuss the latest developments surrounding the revision of the European Package Travel Directive.
“Tourism is the driving force behind the economic and social development of destinations. To this end, TUI reconciles economic, social and environmental sustainability. Green energy and sustainable fuels, enhanced education and training opportunities, water-saving concepts in hotels and cruise ships: sustainability is part of TUI’s DNA. Green innovations and the acceptance of tourism by residents are essential for the success of this transformation”, emphasises Sébastien Ebel, CEO of the TUI Group. “For tourism to be sustainable and successful, local people must see it as an added value for their cities and regions. They decide how much tourism they welcome and what kind of tourism it should be.”
During the discussion, Ebel stressed the need for cooperation between residents of holiday destinations, politicians and the tourism industry to further strengthen the positive effects of tourism and develop a holistic concept for local people’s living spaces and daily life: “Social sustainability concerns in particular the living spaces of local people: education, training, work, local culture and affordable housing. In many places around the world, joint initiatives for improving education, training and local value creation have already been trialled. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and further strengthening it with our partners.”
According to Eber, the current debate in Spain shows that people are not against tourism. People are in favor of tourism, but they want sustainable tourism that respects the daily life of local people. It is therefore important to work with local stakeholders and the tourism industry to develop a holistic concept that harmonizes the tourism ecosystem with the lives of local residents. Only tourism that is accepted and supported by local people can be sustainable tourism. The discussion also focused on green electricity production in Spain, strengthening the production of SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) and what kind of support is possible from Spanish politicians.
An important topic of the meeting was the Package Travel Directive, currently being discussed at European level. Every year, Spain welcomes millions of package tourists, who represent the largest proportion of the country’s tourists. Therefore, in his meeting with the Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism, Sebastian Eber asked for Spain’s support for a Package Travel Directive that would avoid additional burdens and create a level playing field between the various market players. “Package travel is the safest and most attractive form of travel. TUI strives to ensure that this form of travel remains competitive and attractive compared to other forms of travel. I am glad that the discussions reached a broad consensus on this point”, said Sebastian Eber. A regular exchange of views on this topic was agreed.
