The Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, has participated in a virtual way in the meeting of Tourism ministers called by the Slovenian presidency, where the "Roadmap for the Transition of the Tourism Ecosystem in 2030" has been addressed.
In her speech, the minister described the use of the EU's Digital COVID Certificate as a success. “Right now, 49 countries and territories are already connected and many others are developing interoperable solutions. The Certificate is an instrument that generates confidence in safe travel, facilitates international mobility and reinforces the tourism leadership of the European Union in the world ”, the minister recalled. He has also called for progress in vaccination, which has proven very effective in containing the pandemic and allows the reopening of borders to international tourists.
Maroto has recognized that “during this time of the pandemic tourism has received a high level of attention on the European agenda and from the Member States due to the negative impact that the pandemic has had on this sector. This momentum needs to be maintained, and the Tourism Transition Roadmap that we are preparing is a very important milestone in this direction. We must ensure that tourism retains a relevance in the future commensurate with its economic and social weight and we must strengthen the European tourism agenda so that it has the ability to influence major European policies such as the European Green Deal "
Maroto pointed out in his speech that the two priorities on the tourism agenda are, firstly, to consolidate the recovery of tourism at the European and global level and, secondly, the modernization of tourism based on sustainable and digital transformation. Reyes Maroto has reviewed different measures that are necessary to achieve these objectives, such as environmental protection, preparing the sector for future crises or establishing smart, data-based strategies at the local level.
He has also reviewed other actions that should be taken into consideration by European countries, such as adapting SMEs to a more digital ecosystem, and strengthening the protection of our cultural and patrimonial heritage. Finally, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism has invited those attending the next UNWTO General Assembly to be held on December 1 and 2 in Madrid. It will be the first global meeting of the United Nations since the pandemic began and will focus on three key themes: Education and Youth, Rural Development and Digital Innovation.