Abstract
Several challenges regarding the European tourism industry were recently identified at EU level which the experts of the European Commission tried to meet, thus formulating several priorities within the newest Tourism Action Framework: Stimulate long-term competitiveness in the European tourism sector, promote the development of sustainable and high-quality tourism, and consolidate the image and promotion of European tourist destinations. Due to the new generational context, information and communications technology ICT and innovation became keywords within the most recent European Tourism Policy. Considering the symbiotic relationship that exists at the European tourism level between sustainable development, innovative ICT solutions, and long-term competitiveness, the decision-makers in European destinations should focus on identifying innovative ways to implement the new Tourism Action Framework adopted by the European Commission, through ICT applications, in order to support long-term competitiveness achievement. Two such authentic proposals are formulated within the present discussion paper: the creation of a decision support system for the management of sustainable European destinations and the development of a trip-planner for quality-sensitive tourists based on an umbrella European certification/labeling system for tourism quality. There is still a fertile field in these areas and, therefore, more innovative ICT tools to support the long-term competitiveness of European tourist destinations can be developed.
Highlights
The concept of “tourist destination” is a complex one, all tourist destinations being amalgams of products, services, and experiences, with many different stakeholders involved
We suggest that an innovative decision support system (DSS) for tourists willing to visit Europe can be developed based on a genuine umbrella “Qualité Tourisme” certification/labeling system adopted at the European level
European destinations need to be managed in a sustainable way because, due to the high demand for tourism in Europe, travel intensity will increase in the future and there is a risk of partially or completely damaging its resources
Summary
The concept of “tourist destination” is a complex one, all tourist destinations being amalgams of products, services, and experiences, with many different stakeholders involved. In the context presented above, the current paper discusses the efforts made by the decision-makers of Europe, as a macro-tourist destination, in order to keep European destinations competitive in this new social, political, economic and technological environment. The most recent Tourism Policy adopted by the European Commission in 2010 includes several actions which aim to support European tourist destinations in gaining competitive advantage through sustainable development and best use of ICT. The European competitive destination can be defined mainly as the destination which develops in a sustainable way and offers high-quality experiences to tourists These two important sources for the competitive advantage of European destinations need to be addressed from the ICT perspective, because “taking advantage of new technologies and the Internet can enable destinations to enhance their competitiveness” [1]
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