High Level Conference: "Attracting investment in tourism"

This event will focus on financing, upgrading skills and improving the business environment to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU tourism industry.

This High Level Conference is being organised by the European Commission with a special focus on two priority subjects for EU tourism:

• improving the business environment to attract more investment and to better use EU funds to boost the competitiveness of the sector.
• raising awareness about the investment needs to boost skills and mobility of the tourism workforce.

Keynote speakers will include Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, as well as:

• Members of the European Parliament, policy-makers at EU, national and regional level, including Ministers and Presidents of the Regions.
• representatives of international organisations, industry, business and trade associations.
• representatives from academia.

Background

Tourism is an important sector of the EU economy. It has huge potential to generate economic growth and create jobs. In order to attract new tourism flows to the EU, it is indispensable to improve the competitiveness of the sector. The adoption of Digital Single Market and Single Market Strategies, the Juncker Investment Plan with the creation of the European Fund for Strategic Investments, as well as availability of European Structural and Investment Funds (2014-2020), call for additional effort to raise awareness about the need to unlock the full potential of the sector and attract new investments for its competitive development.

More information

• Further information, including draft programme and registration, will be available soon.
• Read more about tourism in the EU.