Destination Europe: A Story-Driven, Experience-Led Future

“Destination Europe” is evolving from a collection of must‑see icons into a shared cultural project defined by stories, values, and deeply felt experiences. Speakers emphasised that Europe must move decisively beyond the familiar pattern of “ten places in nine days,” a model of travel that prizes speed over connection and consumption over meaning. The contemporary traveller seeks something more intimate—personal passions, authentic encounters, and the sense of belonging that comes from engaging with local people and their stories.

Storytelling has therefore become the core of Europe’s brand. From films and series that spark curiosity about hidden neighbourhoods or architectural styles, to creators and travellers who shape awareness through images and narratives, Europe increasingly reaches people through culture long before they book a trip. This cultural pull makes it all the more important that Europe defines what responsible travel means. Across discussions, responsible travel was not portrayed as a simple checklist of sustainable actions but as a holistic approach that aligns curiosity with care, discovery with preservation, and visitor enjoyment with local wellbeing.

Central to this reframing is the idea of rebalancing demand. Europe must guide interest across seasons, regions, and types of experiences, not by discouraging travel but through intelligent redirection—sharing alternatives, adjusting timing, and using technology to help visitors find places that match their interests without overwhelming local communities. The goal is not to attract more visitors at any cost, but to attract the right visitors: those who value the cultural richness, environmental sensitivity, and social context of the places they explore. This approach requires a shift from counting arrivals to understanding impact. Metrics such as relevance, resilience, environmental stewardship, and cultural vitality are becoming more important than raw numbers. 

This new model cannot emerge in isolation. Europe’s destinations, stakeholders, and institutions must act together, strengthening pan‑European cooperation to ensure consistency in standards, data, sustainability practices, and brand positioning. The idea of “Destination Europe” works only when destinations recognise their interdependence—economically, culturally, and environmentally. It also requires policymakers to take tourism seriously: to treat it as a strategic sector supported by investment, policy frameworks, and coordinated actions that reflect its true contribution to Europe’s competitiveness and cohesion.

Ukraine: Tourism as Resilience, Memory, and Identity

Alongside Europe’s strategic repositioning, Ukraine presented a deeply moving account of tourism’s role amid ongoing hardship. Despite the immense challenges of war, domestic tourism in Ukraine has grown, with tax revenues rising significantly in 2025 compared with the previous year. This growth is not driven by international arrivals but by Ukrainians travelling within their own borders, seeking brief respite, psychological renewal, and a sense of continuity with their homeland.

Speakers described how memory tourism and resilience tourism have become emerging forms of engagement. Rather than erasing difficult histories, Ukrainians are finding ways to honour their heritage, acknowledge loss, and reinforce collective identity. Tourism serves as a means to bind communities together at a time when maintaining social cohesion is both vital and fragile. SMEs play a crucial role, as do tailored initiatives that support veterans and medical tourism services, which help rebuild lives and create economic stability.

Yet the scale of destruction is severe: roughly 20 percent of Ukraine’s tourism sites have been damaged or destroyed, a loss that affects cultural heritage, identity, and livelihoods. The need for recovery support is acute, making coordinated international action indispensable. The Tourism Alliance, now joined by nine partner countries, stands as a beacon of collaboration, signalling Europe’s willingness to help restore Ukraine’s tourism assets and prepare for the moment when the country can safely welcome visitors from beyond its borders once again. 

In this context, tourism becomes far more than an industry. It becomes a guardian of local identity, a way to sustain culture under pressure, and a promise of future renewal. It gives communities a reason to continue investing emotionally and economically in their places, even when uncertainty is high.

A Shared Path Forward

Bringing these narratives together, the closing message of European Tourism Day is clear: travel in Europe—and its neighbouring regions—must be built on purpose, resilience, and shared responsibility. Europe’s future depends on designing a tourism model that values stories over checklists, relationships over transactions, and long-term vitality over short-term volume. Ukraine’s story, meanwhile, illustrates how tourism can endure even in crisis, preserving identity and providing a foundation to rebuild.

Both perspectives call for cooperation, innovation, and a renewed understanding of what tourism represents. Europe and Ukraine together highlight that tourism is not simply a movement of people; it is a movement of meaning. The invitation now is to continue shaping that meaning collectively—ensuring that “Destination Europe” remains not only a place to visit, but a place to care for, invest in, and believe in, and ensuring that tourism strengthens resilience, honours local identity, and supports communities across Europe and beyond.