Speech by Commissioner Tzitzikostas at the Roundtable Discussion on Competitive and Sustainable Hospitality

Honorable Members,

Dear Nikolina,

Dear President Vassilikos,

Distinguished Guests,

First of all, I want to thank you for your invitation

to celebrate the European Hospitality Day together.

And for me it is a true honor to address you

for the first time today

as the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.

I am delighted to be here,

reaffirming the significance of sustainable tourism,

which is a cornerstone of Europe's economy,

and an integral part of the social and economic fabric

of our regional and local communities.

The new European Commission prioritizes competitiveness

and tourism is key

to fostering economic growth,

creating jobs,

and driving social development.

Over 3 million active small and medium-sized enterprises,

many of which are family-run businesses

provide accommodation, dining, transportation,

and services through travel agencies and tour operators.

The hospitality sector alone employs nearly half

of the 20 million people working in tourism.

These businesses and their workforce

form the backbone of the tourism sector.

And I firmly believe that sustainability and resilience

are key to ensuring that the sector will continue to thrive

and that Europe is and will the global leader in tourism.

There are many critical issues

that must be addressed collectively

to secure the long-term success of the tourism sector:

The first is,

promoting sustainable and balanced tourism in Europe.

And particularly for the hospitality sector,

this means adopting greener practices,

such as improving the energy efficiency of buildings

and embracing environmentally friendly solutions.

The second is,

advancing digitalization and data use.

Digital tools are increasingly vital to the tourism sector

as part of the digital transition.

For example, the data from hotels

can be used to predict and better manage tourist flows.

The third important issue is

reducing dependency on platforms.

Tourism businesses

must rely less on external platforms,

ensure transparency for customers,

and create a level playing field for companies.

Finally a forth, very important issue is,

addressing the challenges with human capital:

Persistent labor shortages,

skills mismatches,

and a lack of digital skills

continue to affect the tourism and hospitality sectors.

In fact, in the European Union,

1 out of 4 tourism businesses

struggle to hire workers,

impacting service quality and business sustainability.

HOTREC estimates that 10–20% of hospitality jobs remain unfilled.

Of course, the are many reasons for these shortages.

The pandemic caused many workers to shift to other industries.

Tourism jobs face issues such as job stability and work-life balance,

which contributes to high turnover,

especially among younger workers.

So, it is crucial to make the sector more attractive

—especially to young people and women—

by improving training opportunities and offering better working conditions.

This is why it is my priority to have a dialogue with the young people,

early in 2025,  

to listen to their perspectives on these matters.

At the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Tourism in Florence,

the importance of building a strong, skilled, and inclusive tourism workforce was emphasized.

I believe we must build on these conclusions

and place digitalization at the forefront of addressing labor shortages.

The EU has launched several initiatives to support this effort.

Among them:

The EU Talent Pool.

This initiative facilitates international recruitment to fill key roles in hospitality.

Member States can draw from a list of shortage occupations

to recruit workers from third countries.

I will closely monitor the impact of this program.

Also the Pact for Skills:

Under this initiative,

a large-scale partnership for tourism has been established.

It brings together

industry leaders,

vocational training institutions,

and other stakeholders

to reskill and upskill the workforce.

HOTREC has been a key participant,

And really count on your continued contributions

to the development of in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Dear Friends,

Being the first ever Commissioner for Tourism,

I am committed to presenting a Strategy

after consulting with all relevant stakeholders.

This strategy will aim to support the sector

while preserving the environment

and enhancing the well-being of local communities.

It will encompass priority areas

identified under the Tourism Transition Pathway

and address emerging challenges such as:

Climate change

Unbalanced tourism

Labor shortages and workforce training

Adoption of digital tools, including artificial intelligence, by SMEs.

These priorities align closely with the HOTREC Manifesto,

highlighting the strong potential for collaboration in the years ahead.

Furthermore, we must work to enhance Europe's branding as a "unique" destination worldwide

through strong, unified marketing efforts.

This includes adopting innovative tools linked to transport,

such as single ticketing

and incentives to facilitate cross-border travel options

like car-rentals.

To achieve these goals, we need strong cooperation

with local and regional authorities

to promote Destination Management Organizations.

These organizations can play a crucial role

in managing tourist flows

and ensuring infrastructure supports

both to visitors

and for the preservation of our territories and cultural heritage.

In this context,

local and regional authorities,

will need to make the most of the cohesion funds,

along with other financial means,

allocated to local and regional authorities.

Because this will make the difference,

when it comes to delivering on the ground

tools for sustainable territorial development.

Dear Friends,

The entire College will be working in collaboration,

to increase EU's competitiveness

under the Competitiveness Compass,

As President von der Leyen announced.

And I want you to know,

that I will committee myself,

and I will work together with all of you

to build an even stronger tourism for Europe,

more competitive,

more sustainable,

more balanced.

Thank you!