What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Added:– having regard to the study requested by its Committee on Transport and Tourism of 15 October 2018 entitled ‘Overtourism: impact and possible policy responses’,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A100000/2025),(A10-0078/2026),

Change 1

Removed:A. whereas the EU remains a global leader in tourism despite prevailing economic and geopolitical headwinds, with the sector projected to contribute 10.5 % to the EU’s GDP, following strong momentum in early 2025;

Added:A. whereas tourism directly accounts for approximately 5 % of the EU’s GDP, representing a major socio-economic sector in terms of value added, employment and regional cohesion, with strong multiplier effects across various sectors; whereas, once indirect and spillover impacts are factored in, the sector’s overall contribution rises to roughly 10 % of the EU’s GDP; whereas in some countries and regions, tourism accounts for an even higher share of employment and GDP, supporting regional development and reducing inequalities; whereas 90 % of the EU’s tourism sector is made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including family-run businesses that are particularly vulnerable to crises; whereas the EU’s tourism industry comprises some 2.3 million SMEs and employs approximately 12.3 million people; whereas Europe remains a global leader in tourism and the world’s top tourist destination despite prevailing economic and geopolitical headwinds, with the sector projected to contribute 10.5 % to the EU’s GDP, following strong momentum in early 2025;

Removed:B. whereas the economic value of tourism is increasingly overshadowed by social and environmental costs;

Added:B. whereas the economic value of tourism is being increasingly challenged by social, cultural and environmental costs, including housing market pressures, higher living costs for residents, the fragmentation of living spaces, unsustainable resource use and the growing strain on essential infrastructure; whereas decades of volume-oriented growth, coupled with regulatory and governance gaps, have fostered unbalanced tourism; whereas these dynamics call for better governance and smart, sustainable and locally adapted management of demand; whereas tourism in itself is not a problem and preventing tourismphobia requires the adoption of a holistic strategy that reconciles economic growth with social well-being, environmental protection, the safeguarding of cultural heritage and long-term territorial resilience;

Removed:C. whereas the concept of sustainable tourism is central to driving the sector’s competitiveness, safeguarding Europe’s cultural and natural heritage, and balancing the needs of visitors and local communities; whereas sustainability rests on three interdependent pillars – economic, social and environmental – none of which can exist in isolation;

Added:C. whereas the tourism ecosystem covers many industries, including transport, travel agencies and tour operators, support services, accommodation and catering, creative arts and entertainment, and sports and amusement activities, and whereas it is crucial to enable their coherent development and resilience;

Removed:D. whereas connectivity is fundamental to travel and tourism, linking people with places, cultures and experiences; whereas, however, current travel and tourism patterns present significant challenges, given that 80 % of travellers visit only 10 % of global destinations; whereas many remote and peripheral regions remain underserved because of their geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, and the high cost and travel time required to reach them;

Added:D. whereas rising accommodation rental costs across the EU are deepening housing insecurity and social exclusion; whereas the situation is particularly acute in tourist-intensive areas, where the scarcity of affordable housing hampers the attraction and retention of seasonal and permanent tourism workers and essential public-sector professionals; whereas housing affordability, the functioning of local communities, the competitiveness of SMEs in the tourism ecosystem and the level playing field within the single market are increasingly influenced by short-term rentals; whereas short-term rental solutions must be tailored to each specific situation, with action taken primarily at the local level;

Removed:E. whereas transport accounts for the largest share of tourism’s carbon footprint; whereas sustainable tourism cannot be achieved without sustainable mobility; whereas, despite rail representing only around 10 % of journeys made today, far behind car (64 %) and air travel (17 %), recent research suggests that 82 % of Europeans are open to greener travel choices;

Added:E. whereas the concept of sustainable tourism is central to driving the sector’s competitiveness, safeguarding Europe’s cultural and natural heritage, including geographical indications, and balancing the needs of visitors and local communities; whereas sustainability rests on three interdependent pillars – economic, social and environmental – none of which can be perceived in isolation;

Removed:F. whereas the rise of specialised (nautical, medical, wellness, sports, cycling, etc.) tourism creates new opportunities for peripheral regions to showcase their unique landscapes and heritage through place-based development strategies;

Added:F. whereas social sustainability in tourism involves a fair distribution of economic benefits – including through the diversification and deseasonalisation of tourism flows – as well as respect for the rights, needs and well-being of residents, the preservation of cultural heritage and community cohesion, and the provision of quality jobs with fair employment conditions; whereas tourism seasonality continues to contribute to economic instability, workforce shortages and strain on local communities; whereas the development of socially sustainable tourism should strengthen local communities rather than placing them under undue pressure;

Removed:G. whereas smart tourism aims at strengthening destination management, elevating visitor satisfaction and delivering lasting value to local communities; whereas smart tourism hinges on data; whereas the EU’s data ecosystem is fragmented; whereas the European Tourism Data Space initiative aims to overcome this fragmentation by building a secure, interconnected data-sharing platform to support the sector’s sustainability and resilience, in line with the Transition Pathway for Tourism;

Added:G. whereas the EU is fully committed to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the UN in September 2015; whereas Eurostat monitors the EU’s progress towards achieving the SDGs through a set of 102 indicators; whereas tourism can make a direct contribution to the achievement of several SDGs;

Removed:H. whereas limited data sharing and siloed operations across key transport sectors hinder seamless EU-wide multimodal travel, with the booking of such journeys still facing major obstacles;

Added:H. whereas climate change is increasingly affecting tourism, making it crucial to adapt tourism activities, plans, products and facilities accordingly; whereas sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector remain uneven across national, regional and local levels, and the adoption of sustainable practices by Member States, local actors and private-sector stakeholders continues to rely predominantly on voluntary engagement;

Removed:I. whereas a striking 92 % of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in tourism struggle to hire skilled staff; whereas the sector’s skills deficit – a challenge that predates the pandemic and persists despite the high rates of unemployment in the EU – requires a swift push for re-skilling and upskilling to build green, digital, social and cultural competences in tourism, which are key to its competitiveness;

Added:I. whereas tourism has played a role in shaping territorial dynamics across many EU regions; whereas regional approaches to organising and developing this activity have produced diverse configurations that affect their trajectories of growth and well-being; whereas remote, outermost, rural, peripheral, sparsely populated and insular regions and certain coastal areas have unique and diverse characteristics, including environmental vulnerability, geographical isolation, disconnection and dependence on external resources, which call for policy approaches adapted to their specific circumstances;

Removed:J. whereas even in the digital age, tourism thrives on human connection; whereas soft skills are vital for inclusive tourism, yet they remain undervalued, undertrained and underpaid;

Added:J. whereas transport connectivity is fundamental to travel and tourism, linking people with places, cultures and experiences; whereas, however, current travel and tourism patterns present significant challenges, given that 80 % of travellers visit only 10 % of global destinations; whereas promoting rural and inland tourism through tailored strategies could alleviate excessive pressure on overcrowded coastal destinations in several Member States; whereas many peripheral, rural, remote, outermost and insular regions remain underserved because of their geographical isolation, limited infrastructure, reduced transport services during off-peak periods and the high costs and travel time required to reach them; whereas the permanent geographical and connectivity constraints of the EU’s outermost regions have led to a structural dependence on air and maritime transport and exposure to market concentration, all of which directly impact the development of sustainable tourism; whereas efficient freight logistics are a key enabler of tourism services in peripheral destinations;

Removed:K. whereas culture, heritage and identity are the pillars of Europe’s tourism product, with volunteers and local communities playing a crucial role in preserving and promoting of each Member State’s living heritage;

Added:K. whereas transport accounts for the largest share of the tourism sector’s carbon footprint; whereas sustainable tourism cannot be achieved without sustainable mobility, including multimodal diversification, taking due account of Europe’s physical and geographical constraints, which influence the availability and choice of appropriate and sustainable transport options; whereas, despite rail representing only around 10 % of journeys made today, far behind road transport (64 %) and air travel (17 %), recent research suggests that 82 % of Europeans are open to greener travel choices; whereas ferries may provide essential public-interest transport services, ensuring affordable, regular and year-round connectivity, particularly for islands and remote regions;

Removed:L. whereas the EU Ecolabel represents one of several sustainability standards currently applied in European tourism; whereas, although its adoption by tourism accommodations is rising, its overall market impact remains limited;

Added:L. whereas the rise of specialised tourism (gastronomy, wine, beer, nautical, cultural, religious, heritage, medical, wellness, sports, cycling, diving, agricultural, silver, eco-, regenerative, etc.) creates new opportunities for peripheral, rural and outermost regions to showcase their unique landscapes, waterscapes and heritage through place- and theme-based development strategies; whereas the growth of specialised tourism requires support through investment in the necessary infrastructure; whereas these evolving tourism trends can strengthen the sector’s sustainability by extending travel beyond peak seasons, dispersing visitor flows and enhancing the protection of natural and cultural heritage, and generate additional income in remote, sparsely populated and insular regions;

Added:M. whereas approximately 25 % of Europeans are living with disabilities or with reduced mobility; whereas according to Eurostat, the proportion of the EU’s population aged 60 and above, which currently stands at 21 %, is projected to rise to 30 % by 2030; whereas taking dedicated action through investment in accessible and age-friendly tourism services represents a major opportunity to boost competitiveness, upgrade quality and support year-round demand;

Added:N. whereas smart tourism is aimed at strengthening destination management, elevating visitor satisfaction and delivering lasting value to local communities; whereas smart tourism hinges on the availability, analysis and effective use of data; whereas the EU’s data ecosystem remains fragmented; whereas the European Tourism Data Space initiative aims to overcome this fragmentation and the resulting market concentration by building a secure, interconnected data-sharing platform to support the sector’s sustainability and resilience, in line with the transition pathway for tourism;

Added:O. whereas, notwithstanding the EU Tourism Dashboard knowledge portal and the EU Tourism Platform, the EU still lacks an effective and sufficiently ambitious harmonised framework for assessing tourism impacts, including carbon footprint as well as overall sustainability and resilience across Member States;

Added:P. whereas GDP-based and aggregate performance indicators do not fully capture the real social, territorial and environmental impacts of tourism; whereas tourism should be evaluated beyond volume-growth and through sustainability indicators such as social cohesion, long-term territorial sustainability and environmental integrity, with territorial carrying capacity and biodiversity protection guiding destination limits, visitor caps and infrastructure planning, shifting success towards value-driven development models;

Added:Q. whereas limited data sharing and siloed operations across key transport sectors undermine multimodal capacity and hinder seamless EU-wide multimodal travel, with the ability to book such journeys still representing a major obstacle;

Added:R. whereas the tourism sector is labour-intensive, generating approximately 5 % of total EU employment, yet it faces notable challenges, including a 21 % rate of temporary employment; whereas this sector is an important source of job creation, particularly for young people, women and migrant workers who face difficulty entering the labour market; whereas tourism relies on a skilled and committed workforce that ensures quality service and authentic visitor experiences; whereas raising job quality through fair pay, stable employment and improved working conditions can enhance recruitment and retention, supporting the sector’s shift towards sustainable, high-value-added development, while also addressing labour shortages and social sustainability;

Added:S. whereas tourism-dependent regional economies are more exposed to demand shocks and labour volatility, making economic diversification and reindustrialisation essential to stability and long-term development; whereas over-reliance on seasonal tourism risks trapping regions in a development model that limits productivity growth, innovation and the emergence of higher-value-added sectors;

Added:T. whereas a striking 92 % of SMEs in tourism struggle to hire skilled staff; whereas the sector’s skills deficit – a challenge that predates the COVID-19 pandemic and persists despite the high rates of unemployment across the EU – requires a swift push for reskilling and upskilling to build future-oriented skills as well as green, digital, managerial, social and cultural competences that enhance resilience in tourism, which are key to its competitiveness; whereas targeted measures, including sustained public and private investment, along with EU funding instruments accessible to SMEs, are needed to enhance skills and ensure that the tourism industry remains an attractive and competitive employer;

Added:U. whereas women make up over half of the EU’s tourism workforce yet remain significantly under-represented in leadership and decision-making roles and over-represented in lower-paid, informal or precarious employment, often lacking adequate job security and social protection; whereas such inequalities undermine women’s economic empowerment and hinder the competitiveness of the tourism sector, underscoring the need to integrate a strong gender equality dimension into the forthcoming EU sustainable tourism strategy;

Added:V. whereas even in the digital age, tourism thrives on human connection; whereas soft skills are vital for inclusive tourism, yet they remain undervalued, undertrained and underpaid, directly affecting the quality of the visitor experience and the well-being of local communities;

Added:W. whereas culture, heritage and identity are the pillars of the EU’s sustainable and responsible tourism product, with volunteers and local communities playing a crucial role in preserving and promoting the living heritage of each Member State, including sustainable cultural traditions and local languages; whereas the protection, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage can foster intercultural relations, reconciliation and cultural coexistence; whereas safeguarding cultural heritage calls for proactive management of visitor flows, the protection of vulnerable sites and the inclusion of local communities in decision-making processes;

Added:X. whereas digital innovation, including interactive mapping tools, immersive technologies, augmented reality, community-based digital platforms and ‘phygital’ experiences can enhance access to local heritage, support SMEs and allow visitors to engage more deeply with authentic cultural ecosystems, including brewing traditions and local craftsmanship;

Added:Y. whereas agritourism and farm-to-fork and field-to-fork initiatives create genuine value chains rather than simple supply chains, offering visitors an unparalleled experience of authenticity while strengthening rural economies, supporting local producers and promoting environmental stewardship; whereas such initiatives are increasingly recognised as a pillar of quality and sustainable tourism development across the EU;

Added:Z. whereas the European exhibition and business-event industry, recognised as a global leader, is a key segment of the tourism industry and a major economic driver, supporting jobs, regional development, infrastructure investment and cross-sector growth;

Added:AA. whereas the EU Ecolabel, one of several sustainability standards, is currently applied solely to tourist accommodation and not to the entire value chain in tourism destinations, and, although its adoption by tourist accommodations is rising, its overall market impact remains limited; whereas certification must be paired with enforceable obligations, transparency in supply chains and environmental impact monitoring to avoid greenwashing;

AB. whereas, despite the adoption of the Single-Use Plastics Directive, a significant share of plastic waste from the tourism and hospitality sectors still falls beyond its regulatory scope;

Change 2

Changed:N.AC. whereas the EU’s tourism industry should transition towards a circular economy model, improving resource efficiency in areas such as waste, water, food, mobility and energy management,management; supportedwhereas this transition requires the adoption of responsible production and consumption practices, including the use of local products by the hospitality sector, a reduction in waste streams, the reuse of resources and the safeguarding of local ecosystems; whereas data-driven practices;planning, monitoring and management tools are essential to support this shift and to improve the long-term sustainability and resilience of tourism destinations;

Change 3

Changed:O.AD. whereas the recognition of tourism as one of Europe’s 14 strategic industrial ecosystems underscores the need to move beyond assumptions of its inherent resilience towards a holistic European strategy built uponon strong policy coordination, reflecting the sector’s cross-cutting nature, as well as targeted and effective funding;

Change 4

Removed:P. whereas Parliament has consistently called for the inclusion of a dedicated budget line for tourism in the EU general budget; whereas upcoming negotiations on the post-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) present a fresh opportunity to address long-term, stable funding for tourism;

Added:AE. whereas the Commission has announced the forthcoming publication of the first-ever EU sustainable tourism strategy, marking a significant opportunity to establish a coherent and forward-looking sustainable framework for the sector; whereas this initiative should aim to ensure that future growth aligns with the EU’s broader climate and social objectives, while refraining from creating disproportionate administrative or financial burdens for SMEs; whereas a strong European tourism brand is a strategic asset that can strengthen Europe’s competitive advantage by promoting sustainable, high-quality and experience-rich offers while supporting dispersal and seasonality management;

Removed:From isolation to opportunity: enhanced connectivity as a catalyst for regional tourism growth

Added:AF. whereas it is vital to reaffirm that tourism constitutes an important and strategic economic sector that nurtures European identity, and whereas it should not be regarded as a marginal component of the economy; whereas the cross-cutting nature of the tourism sector requires robust political and administrative coordination; whereas a dedicated directorate-general for sustainable tourism that is provided with appropriate resources could guarantee an integrated institutional approach, improve management of existing funding programmes and address the current fragmented European governance in the sector;

Removed:1. Affirms that connectivity is a precondition for the freedom of movement enshrined in the Treaties; calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise connectivity as an essential service that underpins the freedom of movement, including for travel; advocates the establishment of clear benchmarks to assess the accessibility and affordability of sustainable travel options for remote and peripheral regions;

Added:AG. whereas targeted EU funding, including pilot projects and preparatory actions as well as support under programmes such as the single market programme, Creative Europe, Interreg, the digital Europe programme and Horizon Europe, is essential in enabling local authorities, SMEs and cultural actors to test innovative models in cultural tourism, develop digital tools, strengthen thematic networks and scale up successful initiatives across regions; whereas Parliament has consistently called for the inclusion of a dedicated budget line for tourism in the EU’s general budget; whereas upcoming negotiations on the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework (MFF) present a timely opportunity to secure dedicated long-term, stable funding for tourism; whereas new legislative proposals on the 2028-2034 MFF will play a key role in supporting the clean transition, the digital transformation, skills development, sustainability and the overall competitiveness of the tourism ecosystem across all regions of the EU;

Removed:2. Draws attention to the disproportionate influence of major carriers and digital platforms in steering market trends and exposing destinations to structural risks; calls on the Commission to conduct a study examining tourism’s dependence on dominant players with strong market power in the transport and tourism sectors, assessing threats to connectivity, pricing, service continuity and resilience and proposing actions to limit market concentration and enhance fair competition, including through appropriate legal, regulatory and financial measures, where relevant;

Added:From isolation to opportunity: enhanced connectivity as a catalyst for sustainable regional tourism growth

Removed:3. Views efficient transport connections as the foundation of a sustainable, competitive European tourism sector – relieving pressure on hotspot destinations while opening access to emerging ones; calls for the expansion of connectivity to remote and underserved EU regions to ensure inclusive growth through sustainable travel;

Added:1. Affirms that connectivity is a precondition for the freedom of movement enshrined in the Treaties; underlines that strong connectivity is essential for balancing tourism and extending its benefits to underserved areas, easing pressure on over-visited hotspots and supporting the revitalisation of local economies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise accessible, affordable and reliable connectivity as an essential service that underpins the freedom of movement, as there is no freedom of movement without the means to move; advocates the establishment of clear, measurable and regularly updated benchmarks to assess the accessibility, affordability and quality of sustainable travel options, including progress towards barrier-free, inclusive mobility for persons with disabilities and with reduced mobility, and for remote, outermost, rural, peripheral, sparsely populated and insular regions, with particular attention to small islands; underlines that such benchmarks are essential in ensuring year-round connectivity, supporting local communities and SMEs, and safeguarding the long-term resilience of tourism-dependent regions; stresses, furthermore, the relevance of the benchmarks in supporting the Commission and the Member States in prioritising tourism-relevant infrastructure investments aimed at strengthening territorial cohesion, distributing tourism flows and easing pressure on overcrowded hotspots;

Removed:4. Calls for exploring the potential for the wider deployment of public service obligations, including multimodal configurations, to serve residents and visitors alike – especially in island and remote areas – stressing their role in reinforcing territorial cohesion;

Added:2. Draws attention to the disproportionate influence of major carriers and digital platforms in steering market trends, impacting consumer choice and exposing destinations and hospitality businesses to significant structural risks; calls on the Commission to conduct a study examining the tourism sector’s dependence on dominant players with strong market power in the transport and tourism sectors, including hospitality, assessing threats to connectivity, fair pricing, fair conditions for all business users, labour conditions, service continuity and the long-term resilience of destinations, with particular attention to the structural risks in rural, remote and island regions; calls on the Commission, furthermore, as part of the study, to assess actions to address market concentration and unreasonable price personalisation, to strengthen transparency, fair competition and consumer protection, and to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs and local operators, including through appropriate legal, regulatory and financial measures, where relevant;

Removed:5. Welcomes progress made on the trans-European transport network and the robust Connecting Europe Facility budget under the next MFF to support a sustainable, interconnected European transport system, which is equally vital for tourism; nevertheless, regrets that the new MFF proposal once again fails to include a stand-alone budget line for tourism; reaffirms that dedicated EU funding for sustainable tourism would yield substantial returns, including stronger territorial cohesion in peripheral and island regions;

Added:3. Views efficient transport connections as the foundation of a sustainable, competitive and resilient EU tourism sector, relieving pressure on hotspot destinations operating at or beyond their capacity while opening access and redirecting visitor flows to lesser-known, emerging destinations and distributing economic benefits more equitably; calls for connectivity and accessibility to be enhanced, particularly in remote and underserved EU regions, including islands, so as to promote inclusive growth through sustainable travel, encourage deseasonalisation and support regional development;

Removed:6. Calls for the integration of sustainable tourism mobility into EU transport policy, with investment in last-mile connections for the benefit of visitors and residents alike; calls on the Commission to provide targeted support for using low-emission and zero-emission vehicles in tourism – for example, through incentives for e-vehicle leasing and charging infrastructure – particularly in island, rural, mountain and outermost regions, to boost green mobility and reduce the environmental footprint of visitors;