Cruise association wants to reduce complexity of visa application process to boost cruise tourism in Europe
By
Rebecca Gibson |
CLIA Europe has called for the swift adoption and implementation of a Visa Code Review for passengers travelling to Europe.
According to the European Commission, Europe lost more than six million potential tourists from third countries in a single year due to cumbersome visa procedures.
During a roundtable session at the European Shipping Week this week, cruise operators, tourism stakeholders and representatives from CLIA Europe and the European Union (EU) discussed visa facilitation and its impact on cruise and maritime tourism. Participants focused on the challenge of unlocking the potential of EU maritime tourism to foster EU growth and employment.
However, a study from the World Tourism Organization indicated that Europe’s market share of world tourism has decreased from 64% in 1980 to 51% in 2010, and is likely to fall to 41% by 2030 if no measures are taken.
“We need to maintain Europe as the world’s number one tourist destination by increasing the number of third-country tourists,” said David Dingle, vice chairman of CLIA Europe and chairman of Carnival UK. “As CLIA Europe, we welcome the process to reform of the EU Visa Code as an important starting point. But we need to act fast, otherwise the EU risks losing important contributions in terms of trade, investments and jobs at a crucial time of economic recovery.”
The European Commission forecasts that the proposed new Visa Code rules could lead to an increase of visitors of up to 60% and generate up to €25 billion in additional revenue for the EU every year.
While legitimate travellers will be able to enter Europe more easily, screening procedures for visa applicants will remain strict and security will remain high onboard ships, and in ports and destinations.
“Seeing other countries’ efforts to increase their tourism flows, we need a timely adoption of a smart Visa Code to boost the European tourism sector and enable the cruise industry to contribute even more to Europe’s economy and society,” said Raphael von Heereman, CLIA Europe’s secretary general. “But in order to reach this goal, we need adequate support from policy-makers. The key is to foster cooperation between the EU Institutions, Member States, and tourism stakeholders. We are following the decision-making closely and we hope that substantial progress will be achieved by the summer.”