AER Breakfast Briefing, 5/2/2009 Financing tourism initiatives through the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP)‏ Renate Penitz, DG ENTR

March 2006: A renewed European Tourism Policy Aim: to improve competitiveness and create more and better jobs by promoting sustainability and competitiveness and by enhancing the visibility of European tourism Instruments  co-ordination  co-operation  supporting actions

Oct. 2007: Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism Sustainable Management of Destinations Sustainability Awareness by Tourists Integration of Sustainability Concerns by Businesses

The Agenda Calls on Stakeholders:  recognise their responsibilities,  seize the opportunity of the sustainability challenge,  share their knowledge,  communicate the negative and positive results,  bring these issues into their daily discussions,  “translate” the messages for small and micro businesses

Mobilising actors to produce and share knowledge Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) ‏ CIP Objective: Creation of an environment favourable to SME co-operation, particularly in the field of cross-border co-operation Specific objectives of the call for proposals: -To identify and promote practices and tools -To support joint actions between stakeholders that address challenges proper to the tourism sector -To promote networking and collaboration between those stakeholders who create and those who use knowledge

CIP call for proposals 2008 “Networks for the competitiveness and sustainability of European tourism” Characteristics to be fulfilled:  A minimum of 3 partners: at least 1 academic/educational/research institute and at least 1 business/trade association covering tourism businesses  Trans-European  Lead Partner established in the EU  Proposal must take full account of the needs and constraints faced by tourism SMEs with regard to sustainable development

CIP call for proposals 2008 “Networks for the competitiveness and sustainability of European tourism” Types of activities with focus on at least one of the key challenges*:  Knowledge gathering and sharing  Awareness raising  Education and capacity building Integrate sustainability principles in existing or new practices/tools Create a partnership which is supposed to continue after the end of the project period *see Commission Communication COM(2007) 621 final of

CIP call for proposals 2008 “Networks for the competitiveness and sustainability of European tourism”  Total budget EUR  50 % co-financing rate  3 proposals selected for co-financing

CIP call for proposals 2008 Selected proposals: « Chambers active for Sustainable Tourism » « European Alliance for Responsible Tourism and Hospitality » « European Network for Accessible Tourism » For more information on the selected proposals: nability_and_competitiveness/networks_call_en.htm nability_and_competitiveness/networks_call_en.htm

CIP call for proposals 2009 “Networks for the competitiveness and sustainability of European tourism” (to be published end of March 2009) ‏ Amendments:  Total indicative budget of EUR  Higher co-financing rate  3 – 5 proposals to be selected

For further information DG Enterprise and Industry, Tourism Unit