Development of tourism policy in the European Union

Abstract

The development of the European Union's tourism policy is studied. The types of the Union's competence (exclusive, joint and auxiliary) are considered. It is noted that the Union's competence in the field of tourism is an innovation of the Lisbon Treaty, which states that the EU has been empowered to support, coordinate and complement the actions of Member States in the tourism sector, i.e. the Union will not take independent action in this area. It is established that, due to the lack of competence in the tourism sector, the European Union does not have any official body that would directly deal with the development of tourism in the Member States, but some issues related to tourism are within the competence of the European Parliament and the European Commission. It is noted that recent years have confirmed the interest of the Union institutions in tourism policy. The main messages and programs of the European Commission, which set policy guidelines for the development of the tourism sector, are considered. Two documents from 2022, which form the basis of the EU tourism policy, are analyzed: Council conclusions on European Agenda for Tourism 2030 and the Tourism transition pathway – Co-creation and co-implementation process. It is noted that tourism accounts for almost 10% of the Union's GDP and employs about 23 million people, but despite being one of the most important sectors of the European economy, tourism is not seriously considered. At present, the European Union has only auxiliary powers, i.e., the ability to supplement, support and coordinate the actions of the Member States, without the possibility of harmonizing the legislation of the Member States in the field of tourism. It is proposed that in order to achieve more effectively the Union's objectives in the field of tourism, which are to create a favorable environment for the development of tourism business and to promote cooperation between Member States, in particular in the exchange of goods and practices, a common tourism policy should be introduced and a body responsible for the tourism sector should be established. It has been proven that a thriving tourism industry will increase the overall competitiveness of the European Union on the world stage.