MEP Sara Cerdas wants the European Union to play a more active role in guaranteeing a sustainable transition within the tourist sector, through specific support programmes and policies that safeguard companies and jobs during the transition.
During a public hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) initiative entitled ‘Preparing the tourism sector for the future: Challenges and opportunities,’ the MEP addressed the theme of sustainability in the tourism sector, referring to Madeira, an ultra-peripheral region where tourism accounts for 1/4 of its economy, as an example to highlight the importance that this transition will represent in both the economy and in people’s lives.
Sara Cerdas warned of the need for a comprehensive vision and strategy for the tourist sector – and not just for the recovery phase. The strategy must be thorough and sustainable.
She went on to say that the current crisis caused by the covid-19 presents a unique opportunity to challenge the negative effects of “mass tourism,” transforming it into alternatives, such as sustainable tourism or rural tourism, aligned with the objectives of combating climate change, as defined by the EU, conservation of biodiversity and complying with the European Ecological Pact.
The retraining and requalification of tourist industry workers must be a priority in the context of sustainable tourism, in order to safeguard existing jobs and creating new ones to attract a new generation of workers to the industry.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
