Doc. 11069
5 October 2006

Sustainable development and tourism: towards quality growth

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mr Mendes Bota and others

1.       Tourism has been acknowledged as an important driver of economic growth, cultural exchanges and development across Europe. It has brought prosperity to many regions of western Europe and continues to play a major role in bringing eastern and western parts of the continent closer together by promoting human contacts.

2.       As tourist flows to central and eastern European countries increase and legitimate expectations grow on the part of both visitors and host communities, thought should be given to promoting the development of quality tourism in these states. Thus, for tourism to make a substantial and lasting contribution to overall development in these countries, certain lessons should be drawn from the experience of highly popular tourist destinations with regard to mass tourism, management skills and tourist services.

3.       A quality tourism product has to be compatible with environmental values and the preservation of cultural heritage, as well as balanced spatial planning. The traditions of regions and nations must be seen as a competitive advantage for the emerging tourist destinations.

4.       The Parliamentary Assembly has rightly pleaded in favour of balanced development on several occasions, such as in its Resolution 1285 (2002) on Tapping Europe’s tourism potential and Resolution 1318 (2003) on Globalisation and sustainable development. Moreover, promoting sustainable development is one of the Assembly’s priorities for 2006. Steps should therefore be taken to measure progress made by the Council of Europe member states regarding the application of sustainable development principles in tourism and the implementation of the UNWTO (The World Tourism Organisation, a specialised agency of the United Nations) Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

Signed ¹:

MENDES BOTA, José, Portugal, EPP/CD

BARGETZE, Rony, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

BRANGER, Jean-Guy, France, EPP/CD

CORREIA, Telmo, Portugal, EDG

COSIDÓ, Ignacio, Spain, EPP/CD

de MELO, Maria Manuela, Portugal, SOC

de PUIG, Lluís Maria, Spain, SOC

FERNÁNDEZ AGUILAR, Adolfo, Spain, EPP/CD

FROMMELT, Doris, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

GACEK, Urszula, Poland, EPP/CD

GLESENER, Marcel, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

HAUPERT, Norbert, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

HÖGMARK, Anders G., Sweden, EPP/CD

HUSS, Jean, Luxembourg, SOC

ILICALI, Mustafa, Turkey, EPP/CD

IVANOV, Ivan, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

LINDBLAD, Göran, Sweden, EPP/CD

LLOYD, Tony, United Kingdom, SOC

MENDONÇA, Ana Catarina, Portugal, SOC

MERCAN, Murat, Turkey, EPP/CD

MOTA AMARAL, João Bosco, Portugal, EPP/CD

O'HARA, Edward, United Kingdom, SOC

PAPADIMITRIOU, Elsa, Greece, EPP/CD

RODRIGUES, Ricardo, Portugal, SOC

ROSEIRA, Maria de Belém, Portugal, SOC

SAKS, Katrin, Estonia, SOC/SOC

TEKELİOĞLU, Mehmet, Turkey, EPP/CD

TXUEKA, Iñaki, Spain, ALDE

Van den BRANDE, Luc, Belgium, EPP/CD

VAREIKIS, Egidijus, Lithuania, EPP/CD

VERA JARDIM, José, Portugal, SOC

WALTER, Robert, United Kingdom, EDG

WILLE, Paul, Belgium, ALDE

ZAPFL-HELBLING, Rosmarie, Switzerland, EPP/CD

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group