A Study on the Tourism Policy of European Union and its Influence on the Development for European Tourism

• Main Authors: Kuan-Chen Tu, 杜冠蓁
• Other Authors: Yi-Mond Yuan
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/67745380241175415185

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 歐洲研究所碩士班 === 97 === Europe is the most visited region in the world by tourists: at least 5 EU countries are world top ten destinations for holiday-makers. Europe possesses great natural and delicate cultural tourism resources, ancient monuments, as testimony of European long civilization. Financial tools are properly used to support regional tourism development defined by policies, action programs, original measures turned into practice, taking advantage of the natural resources perfectly. This bring some hints on the low development and maintenance of most ancient countries like China and India which could not yet catch up the step of European tourism development. Actually, there is no specific tourism treaty in “The Treaty on European Union” (The Maastricht Treaty). The tourism policy of EU neither creating an institutional common tourism policy nor replacing the directing role of the member states on tourism issues. Basically, EU plays its role as a supporter, by helping the member states for common tourism related actions. The tourism policy of EU is related to the social, financial, cultural, environmental policy, involved in the development of member typical regions and national territory. The European Union use to promote the common tourism policy through five main strategies. First, EU helps to promote cooperative actions which relate to tourism into practice, bringing more convenience and interaction between EU citizens. It will also promote the regional development of Europe. Second, the tourism industry bring huge economical efficiency for Europe, tourism industry therefore become an important sector of the industry. The EU decide to utilize the advantage of the economical benefit, they integrate tourism into the industries which seem to have lost their advantage like agricultural and fishery industries. It helps to promote their competence, bring economical benefit for the specific regions and also prevent the social problems that would cause by the rise of unemployment rate. Third, from the European tourism policy, we also learn how EU tries to adjust the tourism differences between all member states and tries to improve the quality of European tourism. Fourth, the Union keeps promoting the European tourism in the world’s tourism market year after year. We could find different tourism related promotion, activities or selection like EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence), European Capital of Culture, etc. The Union keeps maintaining the visibility of the European tourism in the world’s tourism market. Fifth, in order to solve the environmental problems like the climate in disorder, water scarcity, technical pollution, maintaining the sustainable development of European environment become the principle for European tourism policy since 21 century start. “Sustainable Development” is the key point of all European tourism policy, related actions, programs or measures. The European tourism policy will keep following the international trend (like keep responding to the key issue – Agenda 21 of the World Summit on Sustainable Development) for a cohesive European tourism policy able to coordinate tourism industry, boost investments for innovation, better quality services, knowledge, competitiveness, and cooperation between member countries.