Ο ΗΑΤΤΑ (Σύνδεσμος των εν Ελλάδι Τουριστικών & Ταξιδιωτικών Γραφείων) είναι μέλος της ECTAA και, ως εκπρόσωπός της στην Ελλάδα, κοινοποιεί το ακόλουθο Δελτίο Τύπου της.

HATTA (Association of Greek Tourist & Travel Agencies) is a member of ECTAA and, as its representative in Greece, is pleased to issue the following Press Release.

Brussels, 10 December 2024

Today, 10 leading European travel and tourism organizations gathered at the European Parliament for a high-level meeting with Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, MEP Daniel Attard and other members of the Task Force on Tourism, as well as representatives of the European Commission and EU Member States. This meeting builds on the work initiated in Rhodes earlier this year, and continues efforts to develop a dialogue between tourism industry leaders and policymakers, with a focus on advancing the sector’s efforts for enhanced sustainability, resilience and effective climate change mitigation.

The event follows the landmark Joint Declaration “European Tourism: Resilience in the Age of Climate Crisis”, signed in April 2024 by a coalition of 10 tourism sector organizations. Launched in Rhodes, the Declaration expresses the tourism sector’s commitment to decarbonisation, strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation and deepening engagement with policymakers to achieve a sustainable and competitive future for the travel and tourism sector.

On this special occasion, Commissioner Tzitzikostas highlighted the crucial role of tourism in Europe and committed to introducing a Sustainable Tourism Strategy to help the sector adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

During the discussions, representatives of the tourism industry presented their progress towards emission reduction targets. They highlighted the concrete steps being taken to support environmental commitments and drew attention to key challenges for an effective and timely transition.

Travel and tourism leaders stressed the importance of maintaining an open dialogue between the public and private sectors, with the aim of clarifying and reducing compliance reporting requirements, identifying funding opportunities and sharing effective best practices between sectors.

MEP Daniel Attard (S&D, Malta), member of the Steering Group of the Tourism Task Force, said: “The climate-related legislative packages have been adopted and now our focus must turn to implementation. Sustainable goals are essential, but we also need to safeguard the competitiveness of the sector. Economic growth and sustainability can and must go hand in hand. It is vital that our policies deliver tangible benefits for workers, businesses and the environment alike.”

Alexandros Vassilikos, President of HOTREC, on behalf of the Coalition, commented: “The tourism industry has already demonstrated its commitment to sustainability through significant investments in many areas. From promoting sustainable aviation fuels and developing energy-efficient technologies to creating comprehensive sustainability certifications and robust emissions measurement methodologies, we have laid the foundations for meaningful change. However, we recognize that realizing our full potential requires significant support with specific policies, targeted funding and engagement with policymakers to ensure that our smaller businesses, the real backbone of our industry, can fully participate in this transformation journey.”

Today’s meeting sets the stage for closer collaboration between policymakers and the travel and tourism sector, ensuring that shared goals for a sustainable and resilient future can be achieved together.

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The following organizations have endorsed the Joint Statement:
Airlines for Europe (A4E)
Airports Council International (ACI EUROPE)
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)
European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Association (ECTAA)
European Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEIA)
European Regions Airline Association (ERA)
European Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes (HOTREC)
The Global Association for the Attractions Industry (IAAPA)
International Road Transport Union (IRU)
European Federation of Rural Tourism (RURALTOUR)

About ECTAA
ECTAA represents around 80,000 travel agents and tour operators in Europe, who provide advice and sell transport, accommodation, leisure and other tourism services, as well as combined products, to leisure and professional customers.