Following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, the European Commission now has specific powers to direct tourism activity in the EU. In June 2010, it published a communication on a new political framework for tourism in Europe. This framework outlined twenty one actions aimed at helping the European tourism industry promote sustainable, responsible and high-quality tourism, in order to enhance the sector's competitiveness.
Within this framework, one of the actions envisages the development of a European Tourism Quality Label (ETQ Label). Currently, there is a wide variety of public and private initiatives in this space, but they lack consistency and coordination.
The objectives of this initiative, according to the Commission, would be three-fold:
- For tourism businesses, it could serve as a management tool
- For consumers, it could be an information tool
- For Europe, it could be a competitive instrument
The possible future label would not abolish, but would complement existing tourism quality evaluation systems, which comply with the common European principles and criteria.
The Commission is currently undertaking an open consultation on this initiative, in the form of a relatively straightforward questionnaire. The consultation is open from 10 April-13 July, 2012. Given the experience of businesses and individuals with quality systems in the past, I'm sure there are many who might be interested in contributing to this important debate.
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