Taleb Rifai: European tourism should be linked to economic growth

Α Decrease font Enlarge font
European tourism should be linked to economic growth

With the aim of enhancing the links between tourism, economic growth and inclusive development in Europe, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, addressed the Committee on Transport and Tourism of the European Parliament (Brussels, Belgium, 3 December 2015).

During his visit to the European Parliament, Mr. Rifai emphasized that the European Union (EU) has an opportunity to capitalize on the potential that tourism has to promote socio-economic growth, recalling that despite economic and geopolitical challenges, international tourism continues to grow above average for the fifth consecutive year, reaching over 1.1 billion international tourists in 2014.

I believe that we have many reasons to be optimistic about the future of the tourism sector in Europe, the most visited region in the world, and its capacity to deliver economic growth and development,” he said.

Concrete policy actions

István Ujhelyi, Vice-Chair of the Transport and Tourism Committee and responsible for the Tourism Task Force, recalled that tourism is one of the key socio-economic policy areas in Europe in view of its capacity to create sustainable jobs, one of the main objectives of both the Members States and the EU institutions. "We need more concrete policy actions and projects where tourism is visible, as the industry of peace these days," he added.

During his address, Mr. Rifai called upon the EU to take the lead in three key areas in terms of tourism development – the fight against climate change through sustainability-related initiatives, entrepreneurship and business competitiveness and travel facilitation in view of its proven impact on economic growth.

 Travel facilitation

Europe is already well advanced in supporting energy efficiency and the use of renewable technologies and UNWTO is very happy to have contributed to these efforts with the Hotel Energy Solutions project, which supports SMEs in reducing carbon emissions, and the ongoing Nearly Zero Energy Hotels project” said UNWTO Secretary-General.

The issue of travel facilitation was also addressed by Mr. Rifai, who said that “security should and is a priority to us all; yet despite current challenges, Europe can and should continue to lead the way in travel facilitation, particularly from the growing markets of China, Brazil and many others in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. It makes no sense to invest millions in promoting Europe as a number one destination to the world, if then Europe’s doors to the world are closed.”

On the occasion of his visit, Mr Rifai also met Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs and Mr. David-Maria Sassoli, Vice-President of the European Parliament, to discuss the cooperation between UNWTO and the EU institutions.

READ MORE HERE: GreeceGreek tourism newsTourism in GreeceGreek islandsHotels in GreeceTravel to GreeceGreek destinations Greek travel marketGreek tourism statisticsGreek tourism report

Tornos
  1. 26/03 23:16

    Greek Independence Day marked at New York State Capitol

  2. 26/03 16:03

    Deputy Tourism Minister: Scheduled flights to Greece to rise by 15% in 2023 compared to 2019

  3. 26/03 14:12

    Flight from Belfast inaugurates tourism season for Greek island of Corfu

  4. 26/03 13:20

    Greek PM: We will do everything for railways to regain passengers' trust

  5. 25/03 23:03

    Greek FM: Positive turn in relations with Turkey due to neighboring country's attitude change

  6. 25/03 15:53

    Congratulatory messages from state leaders and embassies on Greek Independence Day

  7. 25/03 13:40

    Greek Independence Day celebrated with parades and cultural events

  8. 25/03 10:58

    Tourism commits to water action agenda at 2023 United Nations water conference

  9. 24/03 23:25

    Digital upgrade to take some Greek tax services offline on March 30

  10. 23/03 22:50

    IATA and AWS launch firsf Datathon to promote diversity in aviation

  11. 23/03 22:27

    Greek battle ships dock at Piraeus port for public visits over Independence Day

  12. 23/03 22:18

    UNWTO announces calls for best tourism villages in 2023

  13. 23/03 19:55

    Passenger traffic in Greek airports grows 53.3% in February compared to 2022

  14. 23/03 18:13

    Fall in coronavirus infections and rise in flu cases in Greece on March 13-19

  15. 23/03 14:23

    No metro in Athens on Friday from 21:00 till end of shift

  16. 22/03 23:37

    Priceless antiquities returned to the people of Greece at New York Consulate

  17. 22/03 22:42

    Taxi drivers on 24-hour strike in Greece on Thursday

  18. 22/03 21:46

    Greek summer school organized in Peloponnnesian city of Kalamata in 2023

  19. 22/03 18:52

    Downtown Athens traffic restrictions imposed for Greek Independence Day parades

  20. 22/03 17:31

    ABNA-SE conference concluded with general assembly in Thessaloniki

  21. 21/03 23:17

    UNWTO organizes tourism statistics workshop for Asia and Pacific in Nepal

  22. 21/03 23:00

    Calilo Resort on Ios: A Greek hotel in the 11 most sustainable hotels in the world

  23. 21/03 22:21

    HRADF inks Igoumenitsa Port share purchase deal with Grimaldi-led joint venture

  24. 21/03 16:15

    Clocks to go forward in Greece one hour on Sunday

  25. 19/03 14:10

    UNWTO launches new Women in Tech startup competition across the Middle East

  26. 19/03 14:07

    Greek president attends memorial march for Thessaloniki Jews killed in Holocaust

  27. 19/03 09:14

    Greek Minister: Relaunching railway services key to restoring public's confidence

  28. 18/03 14:07

    FM launches official campaign of Greek candidacy for UN Security Council

  29. 18/03 13:37

    Piraeus Port shows 51.7% profit hike during 2022

  30. 18/03 13:28

    Greek Tourism Minister forecasts that 2023 will be a very strong year for sector

  31. 18/03 09:02

    Greek Minister meets visiting Israeli minister of science and technology in Athens

  32. 17/03 23:10

    Passenger traffic rises in Greek ports but cargo drops in Q3 2022

  33. 17/03 16:09

    Study: Mediterranean diet reduces risk of dementia

  34. 17/03 15:04

    China and Greece join forces to create mutual learning model between cultures

  35. 17/03 12:14

    Τhe new minimum wage set by Greek government at 780 euros as of April 1

  36. 16/03 21:37

    Walk against discrimination 2023 to take place at Syntagma Square on March 21

  37. 16/03 19:30

    Central Athens road traffic restored after rallies and transport strikes

  38. 16/03 19:12

    Athens Half-Marathon to affect traffic in and around downtown Athens on Sunday

  39. 16/03 14:17

    Greek state budget recorded primary surplus of 4.201 billion euros in Jan-Feb

  40. 16/03 14:12

    FinMin: Greek banks able to absorb any turbulence from global markets

  41. 16/03 14:03

    IATA and Afroport Mauritanie ink agreement on ground handling safety

  42. 16/03 13:07

    Heavy rain and storms in Greece from Thursday to Saturday

  43. 15/03 13:59

    Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino opens this summer in Peloponnese of Greece

  44. 14/03 23:09

    Greek mining enterprises planning to invest 300-400 million euros in 2023

  45. 14/03 20:41

    Public transportation in Athens halted partially by 24-hour strike on Thursday

  46. 14/03 20:19

    Greek trains to restart operation gradually after March 22

  47. 14/03 19:15

    Nominations open for 2023 IATA Diversity and Inclusion Awards in aviation

  48. 14/03 19:02

    Health Minister: Greece lifting Covid measures with some exceptions

  49. 14/03 18:52

    UNWTO Best Tourism Villages ceremony focused on tourism for rural development

  50. 14/03 17:33

    Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air cancel all flights in Greece on Thursday

  51. 14/03 13:06

    7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum in Thessaloniki on April 25-26

  52. 14/03 12:11

    Hellenic Train: Buses to transport passengers for free on certain routes from March 15

  53. 14/03 12:00

    Thessaloniki Urban Transport employees annunce 24-hour strike on March 16

  54. 14/03 00:10

    Hellenic College - Holy Cross full accreditation reaffirmed by NECHE

  55. 13/03 23:23

    75th Anniversary of Dodecanese unification marked on March 12 in Astoria

  56. 13/03 22:33

    Greek Transport Minister and railway unions meet on safe restart of train services

  57. 13/03 19:18

    UK’s Prime Minister rules out return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece

  58. 13/03 16:49

    Hellenic Republic President: Cyprus top national priority of Greek foreign policy

  59. 12/03 14:23

    British Museum head on solving 200-year-old dispute with Elgin Marbles

  60. 12/03 14:20

    Greek unions call 24-hour national strike on Thursday over Tempi train crash

  61. 12/03 14:05

    Summer tourism season kicks off in Greek island of Rhodes earlier than ever

  62. 12/03 13:11

    Athens metro stations closed as protest rally is held over Tempi train collision

  63. 11/03 21:05

    UNWTO at ITB Berlin: Setting priorities for tourism sector

  64. 11/03 19:05

    UNWTO marks Best Tourism Villages ceremony in AlUla of Saudi Arabia

  65. 11/03 17:15

    Huawei VP CEE & Nordic Europe Region: Greece is a valuable market

  66. 11/03 13:27

    UNWTO report on methodologies and tools to measure greenhouse gas emissions

  67. 11/03 12:58

    GWTO head: Greece among most promising emerging wine tourism destinations

  68. 11/03 10:13

    New Cyprus President to visit the Greek capital Athens on March 12-14

  69. 11/03 09:48

    Hellenic Statistical Authority: Greek trade deficit fell 21.9% in January

  70. 10/03 20:20

    Tourism's potential centered at LDCV, UN conference on least developed countries

  71. 10/03 19:24

    Panhellenic Exporters Association: High Greek exports growth to continue

  72. 10/03 18:33

    Construction commences on 'Giannis Antetokounmpo' BB court in Ghana

  73. 10/03 11:12

    SKY Express offers free flights for Athens-Thessaloniki students

  74. 09/03 23:09

    UNWTO and Saudi Arabia join forces to promote education and training in tourism

  75. 09/03 21:46

    IATA: Passenger demand stays strong in January

  76. 09/03 20:20

    UNWTO: New report to support climate action in the tourism industry

  77. 09/03 13:45

    Natural gas prices for households in Athens dropped 23% during February

  78. 09/03 02:13

    Feminist organizations rally in downtown Athens for International Women's Day

  79. 09/03 00:18

    The UK’s National Theatre staging Homer’s epic Odyssey across England

  80. 08/03 23:29

    Greek GDP rose 5.9% in 2022

  81. 08/03 22:37

    International Air Transport Association releases 2022 airline safety performance

  82. 08/03 22:06

    Railroad employees to continue strike action in Greece through Friday

  83. 08/03 20:47

    Archbishop of Greece meets with visiting Pakistani Shia Muslim leader in Athens

  84. 08/03 20:36

    SNF Institute for Infectious Disease Research founded at Rockefeller University

  85. 08/03 18:53

    Europarliament's Civil Liberties Committee completes two-day visit to Athens

  86. 08/03 17:01

    UN World Tourism Organization: Women take "centre stage"in sector development

  87. 08/03 00:46

    EU officials to discuss railway safety and modernization in Athens on Wednesday

  88. 08/03 00:13

    IATA: Air cargo makes a soft start to 2023

  89. 07/03 22:29

    Greek PM asks shipping minister to increase security on ships ahead of Easter

  90. 07/03 21:25

    Athens mass transport to operate on limited schedule during Wednesday's strike

  91. 07/03 20:39

    Founder of company renovating Athens’ Archaeological Museum wins ‘Architecture Nobel ’

  92. 07/03 20:28

    IATA: Disjointed EU PLACI roll out risks customs clearance delays

  93. 07/03 19:42

    Three Athens Parthenon fragments returned to Greece at Vatican ceremony

  94. 07/03 16:20

    Media: ‘Modern Elgin’ arrested trying to steal pieces of Athens Acropolis

  95. 07/03 14:16

    UNWTO marks official opening of ITB Berlin

  96. 06/03 22:47

    Hellenic Cables and IPTO ink deal on Lavrio-Serifos and Serifos-Milos interconnection

  97. 06/03 22:06

    Melina Mercouri exhibition organized at Elefsina, European Capital of Culture

  98. 06/03 20:38

    Lamda Development signs deal with TEMES for joint development of hotels in Ellinikon

  99. 06/03 18:24

    24 hour general strike to affect transport across Greece on Wednesday March 8

  100. 06/03 17:43

    IATA slams disjointed EU PLACI roll out risks customs clearance delays