Successful tourism policies in the European Union

Abstract

This paper outlines some of the findings of a recent survey of national tourism policies in each of the Member States of the European Union (EU) undertaken between 1991 and 1993 for the British Department of Employment. This is the first and most comprehensive study of tourism policies ever undertaken within the European Union. The study has found that policy objectives tend to concentrate on attracting more higher-spending tourists, improvements in product quality and a reduction in seasonality. The most important instrument in the implementation of tourism policy is the national tourist organisation (NTO). Successful tourism policies (measured in terms of visitor arrivals, receipts and trade balance) appear to be linked to there being a clear, coherent central government strategy for developing tourism, where government helps to finance directly or indirectly tourism investment; the central tourism budget is concentrated on a few key areas and tourism policy is clearly co-ordinated with other policies (especially those of transport, environment, culture and regional action).