Commission relaunches Virtual Tourism Observatory
(From ec.europa.eu)
The European Commission is relaunching the Virtual Tourism Observatory (VTO), a repository of statistical information, reports and information on policy and legislation relevant for the EU tourism sector.
The portal acts as a single entry point to a broad collection of information, data and analysis on current trends in the tourism sector. The VTO landing page has recently been improved with an interactive chart that provides direct access to short-term statistical indicators on the state of tourism in the EU and specific EU countries.
Tourism is a major economic activity in the EU. It has a wide-ranging impact on economic growth, employment, and social development. The EU aims to maintain Europe's place as a leading tourist destination while maximising the industry's contribution to growth and employment. The VTO is one of the Commission's instruments to achieve this objective. It facilitates access to statistics and other information, improves our socio-economic knowledge of the sector and supports evidence-based policy making.
The relaunch of the VTO also contributes to the implementation of the 2010 Tourism Communication 'Europe, the world's No 1 tourist destination'.
Europe, the world's No 1 tourist destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe