Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission, will reveal his forward looking strategy at World Travel Market in London on 6th November.
Eduardo Santander, the recently appointed Executive Director of the European Travel Commission (ETC), will reveal his forward looking strategy at World Travel Market in London on 6th November.
This will be the first opportunity for the media to meet Mr Santander and question him about what the EU and the ETC will be doing to promote Europe as a tourist destination – in light of Europe’s share of international tourism arrivals falling to 51% in 2011 in comparison to 60% in 1990, and the share of international tourism receipts down from 49% to 44% over the same period.
Despite the falling market share, tourism is still of enormous value to the EU economy. In 2010 tourism directly produced 5% of EU GDP and indirectly 10%. International tourism receipts were 306 billion euros and six of the world’s top ten tourism destinations by arrivals, and five by receipts, were in Europe. The tourism industry employed 9.7 million people. Therefore, a significant improvement in the EU’s performance as a destination would help it tackle both its economic and its currency crises.
The briefing will comprise a formal presentation followed by an extended Q&A session during which a light buffet lunch will be available.
EU and ETC Facts
- Created in 1948, ETC has its headquarters in Brussels, where its Executive Unit is based. As a network organisation, ETC has established working and operations groups bringing together different tourism experts from the member National Tourism Organisations (NTO’s).
- ETC’s members are the NTOs of thirty-three European countries, including 24 EU member states.
- ETC’s mission is to strengthen the sustainable development of Europe as a tourist destination and to increase competitiveness, through knowledge gathering and sharing amongst members and lobbying as well as by establishing a professional marketing platform for the successful promotion of member countries in long-haul markets.
- Six of the world’s top ten tourism destinations by arrivals and five by receipts are in Europe: France, Spain, Italy, UK, Turkey and Germany (arrivals) – Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the UK (receipts)
- Around 1.8 million businesses, primarily SMEs, are active in the tourism sector employing approx. 5.2% of the total workforce (ca. 9.7 million jobs).
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
