Europe is focapplying on sustainability, digital innovation and relationship building as it considers its goals for the travel industest.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism for the European Commission, spoke about these strategic goals at the Skift Transatlantic Summit last Wednesday.
Tzitzikostas first addressed his work with the European Travel Commission on U.S. campaigns to highlight lesser-known European destinations.
“We do that becaapply we want to spread the benefits of tourism more evenly across all regions throughout the year,” he stated.
The approach will be reflected in an upcoming presentation on European strategy for tourism, to be presented early in 2026.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
“It will focus on three key priorities: supporting destinations transition to more sustainable and resilient models, promoting digital innovation for the benefit of both travelers and businesses and deepening our international partnerships with key partners, starting, of course, here in the United States.”
The goals will leave room for innovation, Tzitzikostas stated, referencing digital payment diversification and a global standard for sustainability as areas of opportunity. potential areas that could benefit.
And according to Tzitzikostas, sustainability goes beyond environmental concerns, requiring industest players to focus on local engagement, connectivity, cultural protection and competition.
“Seizing these opportunities will create us stronger in the face of future challenges. Becaapply tourism, as we all know, is sensitive to turbulence, whether it is caapplyd by geopolitics, climate or economic shifts, tariffs and trade tensions,” he stated, adding that those examples can push costs for aviation and hospitality up.
Tzitzikostas stated Europe has other initiatives in mind, including an investment plan for sustainable transport to improve sustainable fuel creation. Tzitzikostas stated Europe is hoping the U.S. will also contribute to that goal.
Multimodal transportation and digital tools to improve the traveler experience are also top of mind with high speed rail investments. Tzitzikostas stated he is planning to present a single booking and ticketing proposal within the year.
Leave a Reply