The new president of the European Tourism Council (ETC) is at a critical crossroads, under pressure from a variety of environmental and social fronts, and is changing the organization’s original purpose to serve Europeans. He said the reminder is even more timely.
In a lecture at Phocuswright WiT Middle East held on May 3rd, Miguel Sanz Castedo, director of the Spanish Tourism Association (TURESPAÑA), said that ETC has been instrumental in bringing peace and prosperity to the continent since World War II. Said it was founded in 1948 to bring. Seventy-five years ago, after World War II, people saw tourism as a means to peace and prosperity. And he said 75 years later, we need to use that tool as much as possible.
“There are headwinds in the world, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. We must remember that tourism is a tool designed to bring people together and create economic prosperity. ”
He added: “Tourism in Europe is undergoing a complete transformation, not only economically but also in its social and environmental model. Europe is the world’s largest destination, and some of the world’s largest destinations, such as Spain and France, are undergoing a complete transformation. is in Europe. We need to make the world understand that tourism is not only an important economic activity, but also an important human activity.
Asked whether tourism organizations need to change their wording so that people don’t see tourism as just numbers, for example in light of local protests in the Canary Islands against over-tourism, he said: Industry matters. His biggest KPI so far was visitor numbers, is that still valid for all destinations? Should Spain and France always compete for the top spot?
“Now, when people ask me about tourism in Spain, I don’t say that 85 million tourists visited, 3% more than last year. I say, for example, about the 108 billion euros in spending that will further increase the country’s prosperity. .
“Other KPIs are also important, such as number of jobs, salaries, hotel nights, investments, carbon footprint, etc. And it’s not just financial KPIs, there are also social values. For example, in Spain There are some areas where the population is decreasing due to migration and tourism is helping these areas…
“It’s not just about the money. It’s about the impact on the local community. Visitors who spend less and engage in local experiences get more value added.”
He noted that UNWTO has developed a framework for measuring social and environmental sustainability, which is expected to be approved by the UN General Assembly in September. “It will be a game changer in identifying the metrics that matter.”
“It’s not just about the money. It’s about the impact on the local community. Visitors who spend less and engage in local experiences get more value added.”
“All visitors must contribute to the well-being of citizens.”
Mr Castedo said destinations are increasingly valuing the contribution of tourism to the quality of life of their residents and are moving from a tourist-centric model to a community-centric approach. “The Netherlands has a 2030 strategy that says every visitor must contribute to the well-being of the nation. It’s about asking what we really want from tourism.
Another way to deal with overcrowding of popular attractions is to develop new destinations in Europe, even if they are just a few kilometers away from existing attractions, to take pressure off major tourist attractions.
Balancing the seasonality of tourism can also reduce regional tensions during busy seasons and provide more stable employment opportunities. “We believe we need to smooth out seasonality to reduce summer tensions and provide more stable employment in the winter.”
He added that regulatory measures are also needed to address the housing imbalance caused by short-term rentals in tourist destinations and ensure access for local residents. “Some regulation is needed in the Canary Islands to restore balance in terms of housing for residents and tourists.”
Airlines and airports are also under pressure. Mr Castedo asked whether European tourists would face restrictions in the future because of this.
“This is a difficult issue. There’s an argument that we have too much regulation right now and that it’s OK to reduce regulation, but no one is doing it. The first thing we have to do is We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint. We are committed to reducing air travel to net zero by 2050.
“Therefore, we need to use currently available technology to help the industry reduce its carbon footprint. That is SAF, and it relies on the energy sector, not tourism.” We need to encourage them to accelerate production.
“Restricting airports and flights should be a last resort. We must accelerate the development of technologies that can significantly reduce carbon emissions. You can save 9-10%, so try everything else first.
“If only the elite can travel, it won’t be good for everyone.”
“At the same time, we need to encourage people to move in more sustainable ways,” he said.
He said introducing competition in sectors such as rail has brought down prices and made sustainable transport options more accessible to European travelers. “How did they reduce rail fares? There are not one state-owned company, but three. So there is more competition and prices are coming down.”
About digital marketing law and attracting young people
There are also recently introduced digital marketing laws to limit the power of gatekeepers such as Google. Adam Cohen, Google’s director of economic policy, argued in this blog: This means that when you search for flights in Europe, you won’t be able to see any information about airlines, flight times, or prices. While this benefits a small number of online travel aggregators, it hurts a wide range of airlines, hoteliers, and small businesses who find it difficult to contact customers directly. ”
Cohen added: “We are seeing an increase in traffic to a small number of successful intermediary services and a significant decline in engagement with a wide range of businesses, including airlines, hotels, local retailers and restaurants. Masu.
“Hotels are concerned that direct booking clicks have fallen by as much as 30% since compliance changes were implemented. European airlines and local companies have expressed similar concerns.
Asked to comment on this, Castedo said, “The whole purpose of the Digital Marketing Act was to give small businesses easy access to consumers.”
Another challenge that ETC is addressing is how to make tourism an attractive sector for future professionals and new generations. “I also published a children’s book about careers in tourism,” he said.
Uniting 35 NTOs around these common goals at a pivotal moment in European history is no easy feat, but Castedo is certainly up for the challenge. “Europe is the world’s leading destination and we want to maintain that position. Tourism is well placed to join the conversation within these new dynamics.”
