Activities of Georgios KOUMOUTSAKOS related to 2010/2206(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Tourism in Europe (debate)
Amendments (13)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas Europe's diversity, multifacetedness and multiculturalism offer maximum growth for any form of thematic tourism, and the development and promotion of forms of diversified tourism may be the only effective response to the distortions, the problems and the deterioration to which the model of unregulated and undifferentiated mass tourism is leading,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the policy strategy presented by the Commission, which sets out 21 specific actions to reinvigorate the sector and calls on the Commission to draw up a roadmap with a specific timetable to implement the actions in question and to flesh out their content; considers this document and its implementation plan provides a solid basis from which to develop an EU policy on competitive, modern, good quality and sustainable tourism accessible to all;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses the need to develop a European 'Quality Tourism' label based on national experience to date with the purpose of boosting consumer confidence and security regarding tourist products and, at the same time, rewarding entrepreneurs in this sector and enterprises which help improve services and satisfy customers;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to support barrier-free and age-adapted tourism and introduce a European quality label for tourist destinations which make barrier- free travel possible for the elderly and persons with special needs; notes that with this aim in view the Calypso programme should be assessed, in conjunction with stakeholders, and, if appropriate, continued;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Agrees with the Commission’s proposal that a ‘European label’ be developed in conjunction with the Member States and with national tourism agencies, under which, while respecting territorial diversity, the concept of Europe as a whole should be promoted worldwide as a tourist destination; considers that this label should act as a 'branding umbrella' and for this reason clear specifications and criteria for granting it are needed ;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on Member States to cooperate, as part of the exchange of best practices, in order to boost European tourism and promote alternative forms of tourism;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the ‘European heritage label’ initiative as a tool giving prominence to some of the important sites in the history of European integration; stresses the need for coordination between this initiative and the UNESCO heritage sites in order to avoid overlapping that has no added value; calls on the Commission to point out to Member States that sites which will receive the 'European heritage label' must always remain open and accessible, even with provision being made for skeleton staff;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to consider alternative ways of simplifying the issue of tourist visas, such as ‘group tourism visas’ for group organisers; and exemptions from Schengen-type visa requirements for citizens of third countries bordering on the EU who are visiting Member States for a maximum period of 72 hours;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission, in collaboration with the Member States, to exploit and promote vocational and university training schemes already existing in the tourism sector and to network and further encourage them, maintaining close contact with the world of research and business; calls for Member States to be encouraged to develop tourism training at university level; in the same vein, calls on the Commission to examine the possibility of designating a European day of responsible and sustainable tourism, by organising in all Member States information meetings to promote forms of viable tourism and responsible behaviour by tourists;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Draws attention to the problem with infrastructures whose funding at local level is undertaken on the basis of the permanent population; given that this criterion fails to cater properly for tourist destinations where the permanent population is a fraction of the overall users of these infrastructures at peak periods, calls on the Commission carefully to consider boosting funding for infrastructure projects especially for tourist regions;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support, under an integrated maritime policy, the development of port infrastructure, an essential factor in cruise ship tourism which, despite the recent crisis, is a growth sector and in sports tourism; within this framework, calls also on Member States to lift restrictions – where they continue to exist – and generally to assist by every means the development of cruise tourism;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Encourages the Commission to foster a progressive reduction in the seasonal nature of tourism by continuing to build on the results, so far positive, of the preparatory action ‘Calypso’; as part of efforts to boost out-of-season tourism, calls on the Commission carefully to examine the idea of substantially reducing taxation for a number of services and products which contribute to the maintenance of high prices in tourist services, even out of season; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to press ahead with an exchange programme allowing specific categories of people, starting with the most disadvantaged, to take holidays, particularly during the low season and even travelling across national borders;