The European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, participated in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Mr. Tzitzikostas had a series of contacts on the sidelines of the Forum, while he participated in three important events as a keynote speaker: on the Future of Tourism, on the Future of Electromobility, and on the Future of Airports and Aviation.

Tourism

The Tourism panel, on the first day of the Forum, discussed issues of concern to European tourism on two axes: European policies to support sustainable tourism with a balance between economic growth and the well-being of local communities, as well as the promotion by the EU of partnerships and mechanisms in the tourism sector in order to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth in all European Member States.

According to the latest Eurostat data, the EU is forecasting a record number of tourist nights in 2024. The number of nights spent in EU tourist accommodation last year amounted to 3 billion, of which 48% were international and 52% were domestic, which in total increased by 53.4 million compared to 2023.

Mr. Tzitzikostas stressed that the European Union is a tourism superpower as it is the world leader in tourist arrivals. He also pointed out that it is very important that for the first time in the history of the EU there is a Commissioner for Tourism, a fact that proves its key role in development. Mr. Tzitzikostas noted that the performance in tourism has reached record levels and constitutes a significant achievement. “The result of this performance is the strengthening of 3 million small and medium-sized enterprises in European tourism and the support of 20 million jobs,” Mr. Tzitzikostas stressed.

The Commissioner also noted that “tourism can invest in the exploitation of new destinations, in the twelve-month period and in alternative formats, so that flows are more balanced, the benefits reach more areas and the pressures on certain local communities are reduced, especially in terms of housing, but also in environmental issues. I take these pressures very seriously as the Commissioner responsible for the development process of tourism. We need balance so that the successes of tourism do not turn into a nightmare for our destinations, local communities, and cultural heritage. In order to address these phenomena, cooperation between all those involved is needed.

As the European Commission, we are working towards a modern, ambitious European strategy for sustainable tourism. We are also helping Member States to address challenges such as short-term rentals, where new European legislation helps to address accommodation pressures in tourist hotspots. Also, by pooling tourism data in each destination, we will be able to use artificial intelligence tools that can predict visitor flows, thus completely changing the management of destinations.”

The Commissioner analyzed Europe’s tourism strategy and the initiatives undertaken by the European Commission, including:

-The “European Tourism Transition Map”, which aims to implement the principles of the green and digital transition in the tourism sector.

-The “European Agenda for Tourism 2030”, aims to introduce innovative solutions, exchange good practices and joint actions in tourism between EU Member States.

-Addressing emerging challenges, such as the climate crisis, labor and skills shortages, the lack of digitalization in tourism businesses, and the need to promote Europe as a unique, safe, and sustainable tourist destination. Because the relevance to travel is obvious, we have already taken initiatives for common rights for passengers across Europe, enabling single digital booking and ticketing for multimodal transport and facilitating cross-border car rentals, while as the Commissioner announced, he will soon engage in an extensive consultation with stakeholders. A consultation will also include young people, with the first discussion taking place in Thessaloniki on 21 February.

Automotive Industry

During the discussion on Electromobility, on the second day of the Forum, the Commissioner underlined the criticality of the automotive industry for Europe, both economically, since it represents over 7% of European GDP, and socially, since the sector employs over 13 million people.

“The European interest is clearly to protect the automotive industry. We want to secure its future. But the world is changing and we must adapt to the changes if the EU is to continue to hold a leading position both in the automotive industry and in the global fight against the climate crisis. We are not alone in the world in switching to zero-emission vehicles. There are targets for progressively higher shares of electric vehicles worldwide. The switch to cleaner vehicles is inevitable.

The faster we achieve it, the more competitive we will become. The challenge is very big and the obstacles are also many. But we have specific goals and we are already making progress. We are taking steps such as the new legislation on green corporate fleets, the new regulation on batteries, the zero net emissions law for industry, the law on raw materials, the action plan for networks, and the EU industrial action plan for the sector. I truly believe that these joint initiatives are capable of creating favorable conditions for the transition of the automotive industry to the new era, but also of contributing to strengthening its competitiveness”, underlined Mr Tzitzikostas.

Referring to the expansion of electromobility in the two important vehicle categories and to EU policies, the Commissioner pointed out that it is crucial that electric light vehicles become more economical and that the first European vehicles under 25,000 euros will be launched on the market already this year. The European Commission is already working on a legislative proposal to introduce incentives specifically for zero-emission company vehicles. For heavy-duty vehicles, the aim is for zero-emission vehicles to meet the operational needs of operators at a competitive cost compared to traditional diesel vehicles.

“In some vehicle categories,” stressed Mr Tzitzikostas, “progress in this direction is already happening rapidly. For example, one in three new city buses registered in the EU in 2024 were electric. Now we need to create the right conditions for the development of zero-emission long-distance trucks and coaches as well. And we are taking initiatives to achieve this, such as the European Road Taxation Label Directive, the proposed revision of the Vehicle Weights and Dimensions Directive and the proposed revision of the Energy Taxation Directive.”

The Commissioner noted that “we need sufficient recharging and refueling infrastructure to serve the growing number of zero-emission vehicles on European roads. For light vehicles, the deployment of recharging infrastructure is progressing faster than vehicle production and we are trying to help better distribute infrastructure across the EU.

However, faster steps need to be taken on infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles and for this purpose an additional funding of around €1 billion is foreseen, which comes on top of the €1.2 billion already committed for recharging infrastructure from 2022. However, it is necessary for Member States to adopt corresponding incentive policies, such as in the tax treatment of electric vehicles.”

As announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on January 30, the strategic dialogue on the future of the European automotive industry is starting, with Apostolos Tzitzikostas taking on the task of preparing the Commission’s action plan for the sector. “We want to arrive at an action plan that responds to modern challenges and strengthens the competitiveness of this important industry for Europe,” said the Commissioner.

Aviation

In the debate on the Future of Airports and Aviation, Mr Tzitzikostas highlighted the huge benefits for the European economy from the aviation sector and the need for the sector to gain perspective by switching to sustainable fuels.

In this context, the Commissioner referred to the ReFuelEU regulation for aviation, which boosts the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), thus paving the way for cleaner aviation.

“We encourage the aviation industry to invest in sustainable aviation fuels and to decarbonize. The responsibility to reduce emissions is everyone’s responsibility. With sustainable aviation fuels, we can achieve cleaner, green,r and at the same time more competitive aviation, and this is a global goal. We have a clear long-term vision for aviation and clear rules from now until 2050. Our goals are achievable, although bold.

We are also supporting the industry to invest in pioneering technologies that will lead to zero-emission aircraft, including large passenger aircraft. We are at the beginning of this energy revolution. We are on track, but more investment is needed to achieve the sustainable aviation fuel targets after 2035, but also to achieve the increase in the production of synthetic aviation fuels. The sector has 25 years to adapt to the new realities and now is the time to start. This is an opportunity because the subsidies and financial incentives provided in this process are extremely attractive for all involved. “In the sustainable transport investment plan that we are preparing, sustainable fuels play a key role. Consistency in this path that we have set gives a future to air transport and will lead to stable and well-paid jobs across Europe while strengthening overall growth and prosperity”, the Commissioner underlined, among other things.

Contacts

On the sidelines of the Forum, Mr. Tzitzikostas had meetings and contacts with a number of officials and representatives of bodies in the automotive and tourism sectors.

Among them are NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Saudi Arabian Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, International Energy Agency Head Fatih Birol, Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan, BP Vice President Giulia Chierchia, as well as tourism, airline and automotive executives from around the world. “This industry for Europe,” said the Commissioner.

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