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The financial crisis's impact on Tourism

In a recession, tourists tend to take fewer trips and usually stay closer to home when they do travel.

In Europe, one can feel this trend and its direct impact on the trips that tourists from far away destinations or developing countries are taking

Our reaction to the crisis
The Tourism Ministers from the three most visited countries in Europe, Italy, Spain and France, met in Milan during the BIT.

They decided that they should combine their efforts in a single action plan to encourage tourists coming from far away and developing countries.

A work process common to ENIT, Turespaña and Maison de la France has been set up both in their European seats and their offices abroad.

Italy, Spain and France: tourism's heavyweights
Italy, Spain and France are the three most popular destinations in Europe and among the five most visited destinations in the world

• A total of more than 180 million visitors per year

• Generating estimated revenues of 110 billion euros

• An important part of these countries' economies (6 to 10% of the GDP)

Common strengths
• Famous, beautiful cities

• Exceptional cultural heritage

• Impressive landscapes (sea,
mountains, countryside)

• Mediterranean lifestyles (celebration, gastronomy and wine culture)

Three themes selected

Themes identified as being the most useful for a combined action:

• Urban tourism (shopping, shows and historical monuments)

• Heritage and culture

• Gastronomy and oenology

Professionals are our priority
By focusing on professionals in targeted markets, we can make our efforts as effective as possible,

• Encourage Tour Operators to develop itineraries for these three destinations with products that are part of the selected themes

• Introduce our three countries to travel agents in a groovy way, present the TOs' offers to them

• Get the press and trend-setters in on these activities

Actions proposed for Professionals

Assisting Tour Operators in planning their programmes
Developing contacts with regions and partners there to improve the activities scheduled in these three destinations, in particular for trips that combine all three countries (urban tourism, for example)

Promotional aids
Create a common brochure that presents all three countries, the TOs' offers and themes and media promotion programmes

Develop and promote a common website (for professionals)
Dedicated portal, reserved for professionals that shows TOs' offers for Italy, France and Spain (for themes common to all three countries) and is linked to the existing national sites.

Workshops/Promoting destinations
Goal: improve participants' knowledge of the destinations and the offers.
Workshop followed by a dinner that will introduce wine and fine dining.
TOs, travel agencies and the press will be present.

Tourism trade shows
Have a single, common stand at selected trade shows to promote the offer and the destinations (CITM trade show in China, ABAV in Brazil, etc.)

Educational journeys
Trips to our three European countries for motivated travel agents who have really earned it

Press conferences
Organise joint press conferences in major cities in the target markets

Press trip to all three countries centred on the common themes
A journey for selected journalists to all three countries to demonstrate the strong points of interest in the selected themes

Actions proposed for the general public
Common advertising campaign for the general public in special interest magazinesDevelop a series of supplements and inserts concerning the themes for selected media: in particular tourism, culture, fine living, gastronomy and wine magazines.

Develop and promote a common, general public website
Dedicated portal presenting the destinations and the themes that shows the TOs' offers appropriate for the visitors, with links on the existing national sites with banners and organised via key word purchase advertising.