The European Commission is preparing to present the European strategy for sustainable tourism on 4 November, with the aim of balancing the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism while strengthening the sector’s competitiveness and resilience.
Europe is the world’s leading tourist destination, generating significant economic benefits. Nevertheless, the European Union has identified the growing challenge of unbalanced tourism, with the geographical and seasonal concentration of tourist flows representing one of the sector’s main challenges. In addition, overtourism in certain destinations is placing increasing pressure on infrastructure and resources, leading to greater water stress, pollution and biodiversity loss.
The initiative to develop a non-binding European strategy for sustainable tourism was introduced in the Commission’s 2026 Work Programme. With the aim of engaging with stakeholders across the sector, the Commission launched a public consultation targeting the European tourism ecosystem in mid-2025.
The forthcoming strategy builds on previous initiatives, such as the Transition Pathway for Tourism, published by the Commission in February 2022, and the European Agenda for Tourism 2030, which resulted from the adoption of Council conclusions in December of the same year.
On 26 March 2026, the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) adopted an own-initiative report on the subject, which was subsequently approved as a European Parliament resolution on 28 April 2026.
The Parliament’s resolution highlights the importance of strengthening connectivity and its crucial role in sustainable tourism and regional development, emphasising the need to ensure an accessible transport system to expand the range of tourist destinations and create opportunities in remote regions.
The Council adopted conclusions on 28 May 2026, setting out strategic guidelines to promote greater sustainability in the sector, strengthen community participation and uphold social equity. In line with the Parliament’s position, the Council also highlighted the need to develop multimodal mobility.
With regard to businesses, the conclusions emphasise the need to support the sector’s long-term competitiveness, recognising quality employment and skills development as essential factors. They also underline the importance of resilience and crisis preparedness, as well as mitigating the effects of geopolitical tensions and climate change.
Although the EU has no direct legislative powers over tourism, it intends to exercise its influence through related policy areas. Taking into account the Council’s conclusions, the key elements of the 2026 strategy are expected to include accelerating the green transition, with a focus on reducing emissions and managing the impact of tourism on local communities, and promoting digitalisation by strengthening tourism SMEs through digital tools.
Labour shortages, crisis planning and management are also expected to be addressed, with the aim of enhancing the resilience of the tourism sector.
