Common Objectives

Both documents highlight the importance of competitiveness, digitalization, sustainability, and governance as key drivers of tourism sector growth. Among the shared priorities:

• Travel Facilitation
  Both manifestos emphasize the need for simplified visa and border control procedures. The UK focuses on streamlining visa applications and introducing more affordable multiple-entry visas, while the EU aims to improve Schengen procedures to attract more international visitors.
• Support for Tourism Businesses
  Both strategies aim to reduce fiscal and administrative burdens on tourism businesses, making the sector more attractive to investors and entrepreneurs.
• Promotion of Sustainable Tourism
  The documents emphasize the importance of environmentally sustainable policies. The EU proposes a strategic plan for eco-friendly tourism, while the UK focuses on reducing disruptions in rail transport and initiatives to improve coastal cleanliness.
• Skills Development
  Both the EU and the UK recognize the importance of training and workforce qualification. The EU promotes cross-border skills recognition, while the UK prioritizes apprenticeship reform and youth mobility programs.

Key Differences in Approach

Despite shared objectives, the two strategies adopt distinct priorities and implementation methods:

• Territorial Focus
  The European Tourism Manifesto takes a pan-European approach, promoting an integrated strategy among EU member states. In contrast, the UK manifesto focuses exclusively on national priorities, addressing post-Brexit challenges such as the need for new mobility agreements with the EU.
• Fiscal Policies
  The UK emphasizes tax reductions in tourism, including a duty-free shopping scheme for international visitors and lower VAT on accommodations and attractions. The EU, on the other hand, aims for greater fiscal coordination among member states to maintain the sector’s competitiveness.
• Digitalization
  Both manifestos recognize the role of digital transformation, but with different emphases. The EU prioritizes financial support for digital innovation in small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, while the UK focuses on optimizing e-visa processes and border control systems.
• Seasonality Management
  The EU proposes strategies to reduce seasonality in tourism, diversifying the offer and improving the distribution of tourist flows throughout the year. The UK, however, does not place particular emphasis on this issue.

Conclusion

At Twissen we observed that while both strategies share fundamental objectives, they are tailored to different contexts and challenges. The EU aims to consolidate its tourism leadership through coordinated policies, whereas the UK focuses on attracting more visitors through targeted reforms and fiscal incentives.

These two approaches offer valuable insights for the future of international tourism, providing models that other regions could adopt in their own tourism development strategies.

Twissen

L'articolo The Impact of Brexit on Tourism: A Comparative Analysis proviene da Twissen.

Madrid and Seville, two of Spain’s most prominent inland capitals, are clear examples of this trend. Despite often extreme summer temperatures, with highs exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, these cities have maintained high tourism occupancy rates, proving that urban tourism can thrive even under challenging climatic conditions.

Hosteltur reports how Madrid and Seville are experiencing a summer tourism renaissance—a period that was once considered less favorable. Although the intense heat makes it difficult to explore the cities all day, more and more tourists are undeterred by the extreme weather and continue to visit these destinations year-round. This success can be attributed to the rich cultural, culinary, and urban experiences these cities offer, which are becoming increasingly important compared to the simple desire to escape the heat.

A fascinating trend is the rise of “tardeo”, an evening social phenomenon that takes place on rooftops, reminiscent of traditional beachside bars. Additionally, events such as nighttime concerts in historic gardens and rooftop hotel pools with stunning city views are becoming new summer attractions, rivaling beaches for tourists’ attention.

On the other hand, it is reccomended that coastal cities adopt nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels and coastal erosion. These solutions, which include the creation of parks and green spaces, not only offer significant environmental benefits but also improve urban quality of life, creating natural barriers against flooding and reducing carbon emissions. It is crucial for coastal cities to adopt an integrated approach that considers land use, water management, and biodiversity protection to prepare for future challenges.

In conclusion, the success of Madrid and Seville in maintaining high levels of tourist appeal despite extreme heat demonstrates the importance of innovative urban planning and investment in human resources. These factors are essential for turning climate challenges into opportunities, ensuring prosperous and sustainable urban tourism.

Francesco Redi

President and founder at Twissen. Manager in Local Development, Tourism Policies,  EU Funds. He cooperates with several European universities, public bodies, development agencies, DMOs and enterprises.

L'articolo How urban tourism is tackling climate challenges: the success story of Madrid and Seville proviene da Twissen.

We should remember that tourism is an economic sector, both public and private, which by its nature should bring benefits to the territory and the resident community. If this does not happen, then something is not working.

Today, there is much talk about the overcrowding of tourist destinations, environmental unsustainability, inadequate working conditions that do not allow the sector to retain and value human resources, and the depopulation of cities like Venice, where normal life is becoming, according to many residents, unsustainable. So, why do we engage in tourism?

It seems that tourism has become a race to see who can boast the most about their growth numbers: “This year we grew by 300%, room revenue is up by more than 400%, we’ve made more money.” But if all of this does not bring benefits to the territory and the resident community, what is the point?

Tourism decision-makers should prioritize the function of tourism, ensuring that the benefits fall to the local community, and not just to external entities that have no connection to the territory. I read an article stating that two-thirds of hotel revenue in Italy ends up abroad, not remaining within the territories. If tourism does not generate advantages for the territory, then it becomes merely a cost.

Another important aspect is that tourism is often supported by public spending: from land management to roads, waste, and even promotion. Therefore, if it does not generate, in return, utility for the territory, perhaps we should call it something else.

In my opinion, there are two possible explanations for this situation. The first is a lack of competence: some decision-makers do not understand how tourism works and continue to follow the logic of “record numbers.” The second is propaganda: the ability to boast about growth data allows for the communication of successes, but without a thorough analysis of the real benefits.

Returning to the topic of overtourism, there are no simple solutions or magic wands. However, two considerations are necessary. The first is that we must ask the resident community if they want that type of tourism and that type of city life because the citizens are the true owners of the city. It is absurd to imagine a situation where residents, annoyed by tourism, are forced to leave their own city. Who benefits from that?

In my early years working in the tourism sector, I attended meetings with mayors and administrators where more than one would say, “But the tourist doesn’t pay taxes.” In reality, the tourist pays the “tourist tax,” which, to be precise, is a tax. But if the citizen is unhappy and leaves the city, who will pay the taxes?

Furthermore, we have examples where every street has a different speed limit. Why is there fear of talking about limits in tourism? It is not an unhealthy invention, but rather something discussed in an enlightened European Commission document as early as 2007.

Regarding overtourism, it is clear that it cannot be solved simply by imagining “mechanically” moving tourists from a city like Rome to the surrounding areas, hoping they will automatically fall in love with the surrounding territory. If someone decides to go to Rome and is diverted elsewhere, they are likely to feel deceived.

So, the work to be done is different and requires, among other things, careful governance, robust planning, the creation of strong networks, extensive training, rebranding of destinations, and effective communication. Tourism must bring benefits to the territory, otherwise, there is a risk of standardizing destinations, as has happened in other popular locations. In some of these destinations, local cuisine has disappeared, and the cultural identity, which was a motivation for the trip, has been replaced by standardized vacations focused on consumption and sharing on social media.

The work to be done is entirely different… unless it is decided that major destinations should become theme parks.

Twissen

twissen.com

L'articolo Sustainable Tourism and Overtourism: Reflections on the Current Situation proviene da Twissen.

Firstly, it will enhance the creation of an immersive experience for visitors, allowing them to explore and discover the destination virtually before booking a real trip. Additionally, hotels and tourist destinations can use the metaverse to promote their facilities and services, creating a sort of “virtual showroom” where potential customers can see and experience what they have to offer. 

Another great opportunity offered by the metaverse is the ability to purchase a land, or a portion of virtual land, recreate their own environment and mood. This allows hotels and tourist destinations to customize the experience for visitors and create a unique atmosphere that reflects their brand, identity, and level of hospitality. 

For example, a beach hotel could create a virtual land with a marine environment, while a mountain hotel could create a land with an alpine environment. In both cases, hotels would be able to create an immersive experience for visitors that would help them feel already at ease and imagine what it would be like to spend time in their facility. 

Furthermore, by purchasing land in the metaverse, hotels and tourist destinations can also create virtual activities and events to entertain visitors and increase their engagement with the destination. For example, a hotel could organize a virtual dinner for visitors of its land, allowing them to try the hotel’s restaurant dishes virtually. 

We at Twissen are monitoring how the metaverse may represent an enormous opportunity for hotels and tourist destinations to enhance their business and offer unique and immersive experiences to visitors. By purchasing land in the metaverse and recreating their own environment and mood, hotels and tourist destinations can increase their visibility and attract new customers.

Twissen

L'articolo Why tourism destinations and hotels are purchasing lands in the metaverse proviene da Twissen.

Here are 5 aspects to consider in order to benefit from the opening without wasting resources that could be invested on closer targets.

1. Pandemic and safety: To date, many countries have introduced the obligation for Chinese tourists to take a COVID test before departure. Chinese citizens are used to regularly taking COVID tests and will need one before returning home, so from this point of view, one more test should not prevent them from traveling. However, with a wide choice of destinations for their first trip abroad after the pandemic, the one that does not require a test will appear more accessible and more easily reachable.
2. Destinations: For the moment, according to ForwardKeys, the most sought-after destinations would be Macao, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt. It is clear that at least for the first period, Chinese tourists’ trips outside their own country will have as main destinations the Asian countries, geographically closer.
3. Timing: According to TTG Asia, the first quarter of the year will focus on business or study trips, rather than leisure travel, whose real restart is expected for the second quarter, reaching pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.
4. Target: Dragon Trail argues that the first to travel will be independent tourists and in the younger age group, probably millennials or Gen-Z. Main travel motivations will be local cuisine and unique experiences related to the culture of the place.
5. Digital: Chinese social media (69%), travel websites and OTA (49%), KOL and travel blogs (45%) are the most important sources of information on travel destinations for Chinese consumers. In the recovery period, digital channels, the purchase of advertising space and the use of influencers will all be crucial for marketing. As a study by Dragon Trail, ITB China and COTTM shows, WeChat will remain one of the main channels for researching and booking trips and experiences.

We at Twissen observe that, despite the reopening of borders, given the aforementioned implications, the Chinese segment will remain marginal for the next period. It is necessary to study and adapt the strategies to target a specific segment of Chinese tourists, focusing on the most promising destinations and channels.

Twissen

L'articolo China reopens: caution and opportunities proviene da Twissen.

Since 2007, the European Commission has supported EU countries in rewarding non-traditional, emerging sustainable tourism destinations in Europe through the EDEN award. The initiative aimed to foster sustainable tourism destination management models across Europe by selecting and promoting EDEN destinations.

The EU Green Deal, our commitment to a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, and the focus on circular economies, will drive changes in the tourism industry. The ecosystem will need to change how it operates, including how destinations are managed, to deliver sustainable and quality experience to visitors.

The EDEN initiative aims to

1. showcase the best achievements in sustainable tourism and green transition practices across smaller European destinations
2. promote the development of sustainable tourism in destinations, bringing value to the economy, the planet and the people
3. establish a framework for participating destinations to exchange best practices and create opportunities for cooperation and new partnerships

Each year, the EDEN competition will name one ‘European Destination of Excellence’, an accolade that will signal a destination’s forward-thinking approach and identify them as a sustainable tourism pioneer.

The winner will receive expert communication and branding support in promoting their destination in the media and online. This will include a video highlighting the sustainable practices that helped the town stand out. The EU will also promote the winning destination to raise the town’s profile and boost tourism.

Destinations in EU countries and COSME countries with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 inhabitants are eligible to apply.

To apply, destination representatives are asked to complete an online form. The deadline for applications is 16 June 2021 at 17:00 CET.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES
Applicants are asked to describe concrete examples of measures that have been implemented with the aim of boosting sustainable tourism through green transition practices. How well a destination is performing will be assessed on the basis of the following four assessment criteria:

1. How significant is the impact of the green practices? And what is the level of innovation? (To what degree can we consider the destination as a “thought leader”?) Applying this criterion, the evaluating experts will assess how impactful the implemented measures are. They will also look at why these measures were innovative in the applicant destination.

2. How far does the local community benefit from the green practices? Under this criterion, the experts will assess the benefits of the measures on the local business environment and the local community. Detailed information about the tangible and, where possible, measurable impacts of the implementations, including delivering quantitative data on relevant indicators, will support the assessment.

3. How transferable / replicable are the green transition practices for other destinations? Applying this criterion, the evaluating experts will assess what strategies were applied, how they have changed the tourism experience and if they can be implemented in other cities.

4. How strategic is the commitment to a long-term green transition as a tourism destination? Under this criterion, the experts will assess the strategic, long-term solution-based approach, instead of just short-term problem fixing. It will also be 10 assessed, how the results of the implemented measures are being sustained over time.

Source: European Commission

Twissen

L'articolo EDEN – European Destinations of Excellence proviene da Twissen.