Europe is focusing on sustainability, digital innovation and relationship building as it considers its goals for the travel industry.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism for the European Commission, spoke about these strategic goals at the Skift Transatlantic Summit last Wednesday.
Tzitzikostas first addressed his work with the European Travel Commission on U.S. campaigns to highlight lesser-known European destinations.
“We do that because we want to spread the benefits of tourism more evenly across all regions throughout the year,” he said.
The approach will be reflected in an upcoming presentation on European strategy for tourism, to be presented early in 2026.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
“It will focus on three key priorities: helping destinations transition to more sustainable and resilient models, promoting digital innovation for the benefit of both travelers and businesses and deepening our international partnerships with key partners, starting, of course, here in the United States.”
The goals will leave room for innovation, Tzitzikostas said, referencing digital payment diversification and a global standard for sustainability as areas of opportunity.
And according to Tzitzikostas, sustainability goes beyond environmental concerns, requiring industry players to focus on local engagement, connectivity, cultural protection and competition.
“Seizing these opportunities will make us stronger in the face of future challenges. Because tourism, as we all know, is sensitive to turbulence, whether it is caused by geopolitics, climate or economic shifts, tariffs and trade tensions,” he said, adding that those examples can push costs for aviation and hospitality up.
Tzitzikostas said Europe has other initiatives in mind, including an investment plan for sustainable transport to improve sustainable fuel creation. Tzitzikostas said Europe is hoping the U.S. will also contribute to that goal.
Multimodal transportation and digital tools to improve the traveler experience are also top of mind with high speed rail investments. Tzitzikostas said he is planning to present a single booking and ticketing proposal within the year.