The dashboard's indicators are crafted to be comparable across time and space, ensuring consistent analysis regardless of the size of reporting units, such as countries or regions. Each indicator is expressed in relevant units of measurement, ranging from less to more desirable outcomes. For example, a high value in 'tourism diversity' is favorable, while a high value in 'tourism energy intensity' is not.

The EU is one of the world's most prominent tourist destinations, attracting hundreds of millions of domestic and international visitors annually due to its natural diversity, cultural heritage, and economic importance. In 2019, the travel and tourism sector contributed approximately 11% to the EU’s employment, encompassing direct, indirect, and induced jobs. However, the economic contribution of tourism varies significantly across EU countries and regions. Beyond its economic impact, tourism promotes European culture and heritage, enhances well-being, and generates opportunities for personal, cultural, and economic exchanges.

The EU Industrial Strategy update (COM(2021) 350 final) underscores the need to accelerate green and digital transitions, particularly for ecosystems heavily impacted by COVID-19, such as tourism. In response, DG GROW initiated the co-creation process of the Transition Pathway for Tourism in June 2021, involving industry, public authorities, social partners, and other stakeholders. Concurrently, the Council of the European Union invited the Commission to collaborate with Member States and relevant international organizations to design the EU Tourism Dashboard as a flagship tool for the tourism ecosystem.

The Transition Pathway for Tourism, published in February 2022, identifies 27 areas of action for the green and digital transition and improving the resilience of EU tourism. It calls for more circular and environmentally-friendly services, enhanced data sharing for innovative services, and improved diversity and accessibility of services.

The EU Tourism Dashboard, released as a proof-of-concept in December 2021 and fully available to the public since October 2022, supports the Transition Pathway by monitoring environmental, digital, and socio-economic aspects of tourism through harmonized data and indicators. The dashboard provides data at the country level (NUTS0) and, for a subset of indicators, at sub-national levels (NUTS2 and NUTS3), facilitating the collection, development, and harmonization of European regional statistics.

To sum up, the EU Tourism Dashboard is a crucial tool for informed decision-making, enabling stakeholders to monitor and enhance the tourism ecosystem's sustainability, digitalization, and resilience.

For an in-depth analysis and further insights, please visit the linked source on the left-hand side of the platform.

#Tourism indicators #Tourism sustainability indicators #Reports