Europe wants to spread tourists across the year with no funding or targets

The European Commission announced its Sustainable Tourism Strategy on Wednesday, 4 November, saying it wants to spread tourists across more, less crowded destinations throughout the year instead of concentrating them in a few cities during peak months.

The Commission said that 42% of the nights a visitor spends in a destination fall in its three busiest months, which it sees as a sign of the need for a better distribution of tourism. It added that the documents accompanying the strategy aim to strengthen the EU competitiveness, sustainability and resilience.

The strategy allocates no new funding and sets no measurable numerical targets, according to Skift. It comes as Europe faces criticism over overtourism, after a summer of extreme heat and wildfires in several areas.

The documents said destination choices are beginning to change because of climate change, including a shift in part of the demand toward cooler destinations such as the Nordic countries. Skift said the strategy builds on earlier tourism strategies issued by the Commission but does not offer measurable targets to support its implementation.

What do these terms mean?

Sustainability: Using resources in a way that meets present needs without depleting them or harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

Overtourism: A large influx of visitors into a single destination at the same time, putting pressure on infrastructure, local residents and the environment.