Learning from the past, looking at the present, moving into the future

Abstract

The EU Commission has identified sustainability as a fundamental aspect for the quality and competitiveness of European Tourism. All tourism stakeholders are invited to participate actively in building a stronger bridge between the creation of knowledge, its dissemination and implementation of sustainable and competitive practices (e.g. Universities, NGOs, research institutions, observatories) through existing and upcoming challenges for the sustainability and competitiveness of European tourism and facilitating their cooperation. On 30 June 2010, the Commission published its Communication on «Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination – A new political framework for tourism in Europe» and proposed several initiatives, drawing in full on the Union’s competence in the field of tourism as introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. In this context the recent creation of the EMUNI University (which is one of the six priorities areas of the Union for the Mediterranean) represents a strategic framework in order to set up an Euro-Mediterranean Area of Higher education and Research and clearly define the guidelines for future cooperation among Euro-Mediterranean partners. The EMCT (Euromediterranean Master in Cultures and Tourism) constitutes a valid example of this process supported by academic networks, institutions and NGOs working on increasing the knowledge of the sector by uniting their efforts and acting together, in a more visible and synergic way.