The President of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, has held a meeting in Brussels with the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas. There, he stated that it is essential for the Southern perspective on tourism to have a strong influence on the overall European guidelines.
Moreno emphasized that it is the first time there has been a European Commissioner exclusively for Tourism, something that had already been advocated for by Andalucía, a sector that is key and strategic for the Andalusian community in economic, social, and cultural terms.
He explained that the tourism sector represents 12.5% of Andalucía’s GDP and employment, coupled with the fact that last year this community received over 36 million visitors and had an economic impact of 30 billion euros.
He referred to some of the topics discussed in this meeting, such as the importance of having a Tourism Strategy in Europe, which did not exist before, the role Andalucía plays in incorporating artificial intelligence into all tourism management, and the commitment to a cross-cutting tourism approach, not just coastal.
The Andalusian President stated that this European Commissioner has committed to visiting Andalucía and has shown interest in aligning the European Tourism Strategy with what is being done in Andalucía and with the Tourism Law that the Andalusian Government is working on.
At this point, he highlighted that Andalucía’s voice is increasingly being heard in Europe, and this is not by chance but the result of years of work that is enhancing the influence and reputation of the Andalusian community.
He emphasized that his role as co-chairman of the Committee of the Regions will allow him to have meetings with all the European Commissioners in the coming years, including the President of the European Commission and the President of the Council of Europe. «Andalucía is gaining prestige,» he added.
He also pointed out that European directives passed in Europe are binding in Andalucía, and a significant part of legislation, over 40%, originates from Europe, in addition to the crucial European funds in sectors like industry and agriculture.
Moreno mentioned that another topic discussed was the Algeciras-Bobadilla connection as a benchmark for European investment to be rescued with European funds and finally realized, aiming for the Port of Algeciras to be connected to the Mediterranean Corridor and the central axis.
Andalucía is committed to a mobility that integrates and facilitates the movement of people and goods, serving as a driver for development, employment, and cohesion. This necessitates having appropriate communication systems and more efficient and less polluting public transportation.
Meeting held by the Andalusian President and the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, along with their respective teams.
This commitment is being carried out through initiatives like the Andalucía-META 2027 General Plan for Sustainable Tourism, in addition to the start of the processing of the Sustainable Tourism Law Draft by the Government Council this week.
The President of the Junta emphasized that it will be an important day for Andalucía as it is the first time in history that this community assumes such a significant responsibility with the co-chairmanship of the Committee of the Regions, which he described as a leap in external relations and influence in Europe.
«Tomorrow is a historic day for Andalucía, which in 2019 had no presence here, and today is the most influential region in the EU. This achievement is earned through its own merits and the work of a society that believes in Europe. Given the current world circumstances, Europe is needed now more than ever, and Andalucía’s strong presence in European institutions is crucial.»