European Group Tourism by
Coach: Driving Seniors´ and out
of Season Tourism
8th IRU European Bus and Coach Forum
-17 Oct 2013Oscar Almendros
European Commission, DG Enterprise & Industry
Tourism Policy Unit
Date: in 12 pts
Tourism in the EU
 Cross-cutting
 Transnational sector
 Fragmented sector
 Mainly SMEs
 Contributes to other
key objectives of the EU
2
Date: in 12 pts
Europe, world´s nº 1 tourism destination
 586€ billion revenues
5% of the GDP (dir.)
INSERT
10% of the GDP (ind.)
 1.8 million enterprises
 18,8 million workers in
2011; 20,4 mill. in
2022 (WT&TC)
5.2% employment (dir.)
12% employment (ind.)
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3
Date: in 12 pts
Legal Framework: competitiveness
• Article 6 (Lisbon Treaty): the EU can intervene to
"support, coordinate or supplement the actions of Member
States":
• Article 195: in Tourism the EU can complement Member
States’ actions to promote competitiveness by:
Encouraging the creation
of favourable environment;
Promoting
cooperation
between Member states,
particularly in exchanging
good practices.
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Date: in 12 pts
Political Framework
Communication 2010 - "Europe, world´s nº 1 tourism
destination, a new political framework for European
Tourism " - COM (2010) 352
•Stimulate
competitiveness
European tourism sector.
in
the
•Promote the development of sustainable,
responsible and quality tourism.
•Consolidate the image and profile of
Europe as a whole, quality sustainable
destinations.
•Maximizing the potential of policies and
financial instruments of the EU aimed at
the tourism development.
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Date: in 12 pts
Major tourism challenges
Seasonality
on demand
Economic,
social and
environmental
sustainability
of tourism
Diversifying
the tourism
Offer
Changes on
the European
society
Insufficient
socio-economic
consistent data
at EU level
Involving all
stakeholders
in EU actions
Lack of
transparency and
coherence in
quality evaluation
schemes
Lack of policy
coordination
Lack of
cooperation in
promotional
efforts at EU
level
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6
Date: in 12 pts
Tourism for All
 EC
ensures
universal
access
to
holiday
=competitive, sustainable and responsible tourism
 EC undertakes trans-national actions
cope with the following challenges:
to
 EXTENSION OF THE LOW SEASON = GROWTH AND JOBS
 MAJOR CHANGES AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES OF THE
EUROPEAN SOCIETY (new family structures, single-person
households, the increase of life expectancy, additional free
time, population ageing…)
Date: in 12 pts
Policy Framework of social tourism
 COM(2001) 665 final "Working together for the future of
European tourism": ensure tourism for all for specific target
groups
 COM(2003) 716 final “Basic orientations for the
sustainability of European tourism”: social inclusion in a
sustainable tourism
 COM(2006) 134 final “A renewed EU Tourism Policy:
Towards a stronger partnership for European Tourism”:
exchange of ‘tourism for all’ good practice
 COM(2007) 621 final “European Agenda 21 for Sustainable
and Competitive European Tourism"
Date: in 12 pts
Calypso: Tourism for All
 Preparatory action “Social Tourism
in
Europe”
named
“CALYPSOTourism for All” (2009-2011)
 Action 6 of the EC Communication
352/2010
“facilitating
low-season transnational tourism
exchanges between Member States, Regions and
other stakeholders, addressing 4 target groups:
• Pensioners (>65)
• Youth (18-30years)
• Disabled people
• Families facing difficult social circumstances
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Date: in 12 pts
Calypso: Tourism for All
Objectives :
• Promote the European dimension of social tourism,
inviting public and private stakeholders to cooperate,
through transnational exchanges in low-season;
• Promote
regional
development
economic growth across Europe;
and
generate
• Improve tourism seasonality patterns across Europe;
• Create more and better jobs in the tourism sector;
• Strengthen the European citizenship.
Date: in 12 pts
Calypso: Tourism for All
• 2 Call for Proposals under the Preparatory
Action and 1 in 2012 under the EIP
(Holiday4all-Danube macroRegion; Off2013
–HU/PL for seniors and families).
• 10 Projects; 17 MS (Including Serbia and
Montenegro)
• Platform
e-Calypso (under PA 2001):
"Promoting Social Tourism in Europe
through the Development of a Demand
–
Date: in 12 pts
Redefining European Tourism
Policy
•Keeping
Europe's
destination worldwide
No.
1
•New political momentum (Mission
for Growth, EU Strategy 2020, Small
Business Act, MFF 2014-2020 ...)
•Stimulate competitiveness: Focus
on Growth and Employment
•Integral associations of actors:
Partnership between public/ private
stakeholders
Date: in 12 pts
The objectives of tourism in the EU
STRATEGIC ROAD MAP 2013-2014
I. Promoting
Europe:
Tourism
demand
II. Europe as
a destination
of excellence:
Tourism offer
III. Tourism
as an engine
to exit the
crisis:
Skills,
innovation,
accessibility
and better
access to
finance
Date: in 12 pts
Integration of tourism policies and
majorof EU
1. Impact
otherfinancial
EU policies: instruments
visas (HOME) Services
Directive (MARKT), Package Travel Directive (JUST),
Transport
(MOVE),
Employment
(EMPL),
Rural
Development
(AGRI),
Trade
(TRADE)
Emissions
(climate) Maritime and Fisheries (MARE), Education and
culture (EAC), etc...
2. EIP / CIP → ± € 6.5 million in 2013
3. Preparatory PE (transnational cultural tourism
products and accessibility) → 3 million € (20122014)
4. Extra financial
such as:
•
•
•
multiannual
sectoral
programs
LIFE + (Environment)
Creative Europe, Erasmus for All (Education and
Culture)
Lifelong learning, Leonardo(Education and Culture)
5. European structural and regional funds
Date: in 12 pts
The Increase of the Tourism Demand:
Calypso Plus "Tourism for Senior"
•
Potential market:
 125 million senior citizens (>55
years old) in Europe.
 25% of the EU population.
 Leisure
time,
higher
life
expectancy, better health and
expending power than previous
generations.
 Not fullty
travel).
exploited
(only
41%
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The Increase of the Tourism Demand:
Calypso Plus "Tourism for Senior"
 Calypso projects (EST, SOWELL, URTS, HEALTOUR,
OFF2013),
 When started:
VP Tajani sent a letter to all EU Tourism Ministry in May '12
 What was done:
2 technical meetings (2012-2013)
First Call for Proposals on Seniors
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The Increase of the Tourism Demand:
Calypso Plus "Tourism for Senior"
Call for Proposals Senior Initiative.
 Publication: June 2013
 Budget Line: EIP Program
 Budget: 1 million €
 Co-financing: 70%
 Implementation
January 2014
period:
18
months
from
 Submmited Applications: 57
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The Increase of the Tourism Demand:
Calypso Plus "Tourism for Senior"
Next steps:
 Pilot Initiative "Europe the best destination
for Seniors" , aiming at increasing senior tourist
flows, during low/medium seasons, between
European countries and/or from third countries.
 European and International dimension.
 1st Workshop on seniors, Bruxelles, on 5th
December 2013
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Accessibility
 Accessible Tourism/Senior
 80 million people with disability in EU
 ¾ of disable citizens are over 55
years old
 Potential market: 100 to 110
million tourists (elderly and disabled)
with accesibility requirements.
 Indirectly: 130-140 million more
tourists per year, with an additional
turnover of approximately 90-160
billion € per year
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Accessibility
 Preparatory Action (PA) “Tourism accessibility for all”
(2012-2014)
 Three studies in 2012 to be completed in 2014:
• to assess the economic impact of accessible tourism and the
evolution of the demand,
• to screen the supply of tourism services,
• to identify the necessary skills and competences for tourism
staff and professionals.
 European Excellence Award for Accessible Tourism, aimed
at rewarding operators in the tourism sector which have made
accessibility an element of their competitiveness. The winners will
be proclaimed in 13 December 2013.
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Some provisional Results
 Demand side: needs, preferences and perceptions
• Seniors
• Accesible=feature for disabled + confort and quality
• Marketing and promotion/ info and communication
 Offer side: barriers and shortcomes for SMEs
• Mobility impairment is not all services needed.
• High costs for investments and no information to guide
enterpreneurs
 Skills: profiles and training needs
• No accessibility training systematically integrated in EU 28
mainstream educational systems
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Accesibility
 New
Call
for
Proposals:
"Design,
Implementation, Promotion and Marketing of
Accessible Tourism Itineraries"
 Deadline: 22/10/2013
 Maximum EU Contribution per project : €
125.000
 Specific
Programme: Preparatory
Tourism and accessibility for all".
Action
"
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COSME
 Ensure continuity with the EIP (e.g. EEN)
 Main beneficiaries
• Existing entrepreneurs (small businesses) – easier
access to funding for development, consolidation and
growth of their business.
• Future
entrepreneurs (including young
assistance in setting up their own business.
people)
–
• National, regional and local authorities – tools for
effectively reforming policy
 Foreseen budget: € 2.5 billion
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Overview of COSME. Objectives & Activities
Total operational
activities (million
Euros)
Special objectives and activities
Total budget
2014-2020: €2.3bn
(current prices).
Activities to improve European competitiveness
102
Actitivites to develop SME policy and promote
SMEs competitiveness
64
New business concepts for consumer goods
87
Erasmus for Entrepreneurs
87
Entrepreneurship education
1436
Tourism
108.9
Financial instruments
424
Support to SMEs abroad
12
Support to international industrial cooperation
2443
Enterprise Europe network
99
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Proposals for Tourism
Increasing the demand for EU tourism services both
within the EU and third countries
Diversifying the offer and products
Enhancing tourism quality, sustainability, accesibility,
skills, information and innovation
Improving socio-economic knowledge of the sector
Increasing Europe´s visibility as a tourist destination as
well as of its diverse destinations
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General Information and Contact Details
Project webpage
•http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/secto
rs/tourism/index_en.htm
Tourism Legislation
•http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.
do?uri=CELEX:52010DC0352:EN:NOT
Ready for Europe campaign
•http://europa.eu/readyforeurope/
Oscar Almendros
Thank you for
your attention
ENTR-TOURISM-POLICY@ec.europa.eu
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