PTO and Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the 17th European Tourism Forum in Vienna
Vienna hosted the 17th European Tourism Forum staged as part of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event held on 1-2 October was attended by Vice President of POT Agnieszka Jędrzejczyk.
The 17th European Tourism Forum was staged as part of the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council. At the invitation of Austria’s Minister of Tourism Elisabeth Köstlinger, Vienna was visited by, i.a. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) along with more than 200 high-ranking representatives of tourism organisations based in the European Union. The list of guests from Poland included, i.a. Vice President of Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT) Agnieszka Jędrzejczyk, Ewa Pawlak-Lewandowska, Director of the Department of Tourism at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, and Włodzimierz Szeląg, Head of the Viennese Polish Tourism Organisation International Office (ZOPOT).
The event involved analyses and discussions on the strategies and challenges facing global tourism. According to the presented analyses, tourism is among the most viable economic sectors. The present-day growth trends in Europe and worldwide indicate that tourism acts as the key driving force for many regions and cities. Hard data also confirm this trend - last year more than 1.3 billion international trips were recorded, with revenues generated by tourist services and related economy activities exceeding 1.3 billion USD.
The discussion at the Viennese forum also focused on the forms of further sustainable growth of the tourism sector and guaranteeing the safety of travelers. Participants agreed that this objective requires long-term cooperation between private and national operators, making sure that the strategic growth plans of the tourism sector are implemented.
High attendance figures and active conference participants distinguished panel discussions dedicated to the application of new technologies in tourist services, making an impact on changing the expectations of global travelers and shaping the brand-new preferences of leisure activities among EU societies.
European Tourism Forum gathered experts representing the public and private sector of all EU member states, along with European institutions and associations.
