4th November 2026
European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, will present the newly published EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy at an EU Tourism Ministers' Summit in Mullingar tomorrow, 5 November. The summit will be hosted by Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD as part of the Irish Presidency programme.
The publication of the Strategy marks a significant milestone for Europe's tourism sector and comes ahead of a high-level gathering of tourism ministers and senior officials from across the European Union to discuss the future of European tourism. The Strategy is designed to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of Europe's tourism ecosystem and reflects the growing recognition of tourism as a strategic driver of economic growth, employment and regional development across the EU.
Welcoming the publication of the Strategy and the Commissioner's visit, Minister Burke said:
"I warmly welcome the adoption of the EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy, which represents an important milestone for tourism policy in Europe. Tourism supports millions of jobs, drives economic activity in urban and rural communities alike and plays a vital role in Europe's international competitiveness. The publication of this Strategy demonstrates a renewed commitment at European level to ensuring that tourism remains sustainable, innovative, resilient and capable of delivering benefits for local communities and visitors alike.
Tourism supports over 270,000 jobs across Ireland and is a cornerstone of many regional and rural economies. The publication of the EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy provides an important opportunity to shape the future development of the sector, ensuring it remains competitive, resilient and sustainable.
I am particularly pleased to welcome the Commissioner, my ministerial colleagues and senior delegations from across the European Union to Mullingar for these important discussions."
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said:
“Tourism is one of Europe's greatest strategic economic assets. It drives growth and innovation, creates millions of jobs and supports businesses and communities in every corner of Europe, with SMEs at the heart of the sector’s strength and competitiveness. With the EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy, we are giving tourism the recognition and place on the EU policy agenda it deserves, while bringing together businesses, destinations and public authorities around a common vision to make European tourism more competitive, more sustainable and more resilient, ensuring that its benefits reach businesses, local communities and citizens across Europe.”
The Meeting of EU Tourism Ministers marks the culmination of a series of tourism events organised under the Irish Presidency. Senior tourism officials from across the European Union met in Dublin on 3 November for a meeting of Directors General for Tourism, while policymakers, tourism agencies, industry representatives and stakeholders will gather in Mullingar on 4 November for the 25th European Tourism Forum.
The theme of this year's Forum is "Building a Better Tourism Future: Harnessing Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Digitalisation". Discussions over the three days will focus on the opportunities and challenges facing European tourism, including competitiveness, sustainability, skills development, innovation, digital transformation and investment.
The EU remains the world's leading tourism destination, welcoming close to 600 million international visitors annually. Tourism contributes approximately 11% of EU gross value added and supports more than 20 million jobs across Europe, with small and medium-sized enterprises forming the backbone of the sector.
The new Strategy is intended to help ensure Europe's tourism sector remains competitive while responding to major challenges and opportunities. Discussions at the Ministers' Summit will focus on how the Strategy's ambitions can be translated into practical measures that support tourism businesses, strengthen local economies, protect destinations and enhance the resilience of the sector.
Hosting these events under the Irish Presidency provides an opportunity to shape discussions on the future of European tourism while showcasing Ireland's tourism offering and commitment to a sustainable, innovative and competitive tourism sector.
Notes to Editors
The EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy focuses on four key priorities:
- Strengthening the competitiveness of Europe's tourism ecosystem through support for SMEs, innovation, digitalisation and skills development;
- Advancing environmental and social sustainability while building resilience to future challenges;
- Enhancing international cooperation and promoting Europe as the world's leading tourism destination; and
- Improving governance, investment coordination and cooperation across all levels of government and the tourism sector.
ENDS
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