The reference document for the Tourism sector
The sector
The tourism sector encompasses a wide range of hospitality and recreational activities. The primary target actors of the SRD are tour operators, accommodation and food & drink establishments, and destination managers, such as local authorities. The main NACE codes covering the document scope are N 79 (Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities) and I 55 (Accommodation and Food Service Activities).
Tourism is an important economic sector in Europe. Within the EU27, there are 1.7 million enterprises classified as hotels and restaurants, employing over 9 million people and generating annual turnover of EUR 430 billion. Europe is the largest tourism region in the world, hosting 53 % of international tourist arrivals. Five European countries rank in the world's top-ten by international arrivals: France, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom and Germany. The average long-term growth rate in the European tourism sector is 2.8 %.
The tourism sector has high potential for environmental improvement. Tourists have a large environmental footprint compared with residents, travelling long distances and concentrating in destination "hotspots" where they can give rise to local environmental pressures through demand for development, water and energy, and generation of waste. Tour operators and destination managers such as local authorities can influence tourist behaviour and the environmental condition of destinations, for example through the provision of infrastructure and services. They also have considerable influence over small tourism enterprises. Resource consumption per guest is high in accommodation and food & drink establishments, and the eco-efficiency of such establishments varies widely, indicating high potential for improvement through dissemination of best practice. Through choice editing, green procurement and modification of their offers, the management of all tourism enterprises can leverage a positive environmental influence over a wide sphere, and well managed tourism can generate income from natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Structure of the Tourism SRD
The Tourism SRD is under development by the IPTS, following the completion of a background report by Grontmij-Carl Bro in January 2011 (see workplan). A final draft of the SRD is expected by December 2011. Documentation on the methodology and stakeholder input during the initial stages of SRD development can be found in Documents (link to documents in this page) section.
The background report for the Tourism SRD [link to document] covers the tourism chain from tour operators, to accommodation and food & drink enterprises, to tourist behaviour, and includes influence over supply chains. Based on mass flow thinking, the following input/output scheme has been used to structure the document:
The Tourism SRD will present Best Environmental Management Practices (BEMPs) at the process level, targeted at the main actors within the sector in sequence and according to environmental aspects (link to tourism BEMP presentation):
- BEMPs for destination management. These include development planning and conservation measures, and the provision of adequate services to cope with peak season tourist demands (e.g. modular, high capacity wastewater treatment plants).
- BEMPs for tour operators and travel agents. These include collaboration with destination managers to improve the environmental condition of destinations, optimisation of transport to reduce emissions, leveraging eco-efficiency improvement from accommodation suppliers, and marketing of more sustainable tours.
- BEMPs to minimise energy consumption in accommodation establishments. These include improving the thermal insulation of the building envelope, optimisation of HVAC systems, improved lighting efficiency and use of renewable energy sources.
- BEMPs to minimise water consumption in accommodation establishments. These include system monitoring and maintenance, installation of efficient fittings, optimisation of laundry processes, environmentally sound landscaping and irrigation, efficient swimming pool management and use of greywater.
- BEMPs to minimise and manage waste in accommodation establishments. These include waste minimisation through green procurement, onsite sorting and recycling and wastewater treatment.
- BEMPs for food & drink providers. These include efficient procurement and management of food, optimised waste management, efficient washing and cleaning processes and efficient cooking processes.
- BEMPs for campsites. These include environmentally friendly site management, efficient washrooms, use of renewable energy sources, and provision of waste management facilities.
Introductory chapters describe the sector and its environmental importance, whilst an additional chapter guides SMEs towards relevant BEMPs and sections of the document in order to facilitate their use of it. The final chapter provides conclusions with reference to key performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence.
Work plan
- Development of Background Document: January 2010 – January 2011
- Contact with stakeholders and setting up the Technical Working Group (TWG): January 2011.
- Kickoff meeting of the TWG, Brussels, 31th March 2011.
- Development of the first draft of the SRD for the Construction sector, January 2011 – November 2011.
- Final Meeting of the TWG, Brussels, November 2011
- Final draft of the SRD for the Construction sector, December 2011.
Project Team
- Harald Schönberger, harald.schoenberger[at]ec.europa.eu
- David Styles, david.styles[at]ec.europa.eu
- José-Luis Gálvez jose-luis.galvez-martos[at]ec.europa.eu
Documents
Second draft reference document for Tourism
Minutes for kick-off meeting
Tourism BEMP techniques presentation
The mission of the JRC is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national.