Europe's next tourism strategy is being written – and TUI Care Foundation had a seat at the table. On 15 May, Paulina Mikalauskaite joined Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas and around 20 young representatives from across Europe for a Youth Policy Dialogue on the Future of European Tourism in Athens, contributing directly to the discussions that will shape the upcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism, expected after the summer.

The dialogue brought together voices from rural tourism initiatives, accessibility organisations, trade unions and outdoor tourism associations – a deliberately broad mix, reflecting the ambition of an EU strategy that must work for every corner of the continent. The event is part of a broader engagement by TUI's Brussels office with European institutions on tourism policy and offered a timely opportunity to put practical industry experience at the heart of the policy process.

Putting Local Capacity at the Centre

Paulina used the occasion to make the case for something often missing from connectivity-focused policy debates: the local side of the equation. EU infrastructure investments open doors – but only if small businesses, cultural actors and entrepreneurs in lesser-known destinations have the capacity and funding to walk through them. Without that, growing tourism flows risk bypassing the communities that need them most. In response, Commissioner Tzitzikostas named initiatives like the TUI Care Foundation's project TUI Colourful Cultures Croatia as a positive example of how tourism can help to direct visitors towards underserved destinations – a strong recognition of the work being carried out on the ground that was also recognised earlier this year at the European Tourism Day in Brussels.

A Broader Agenda for Sustainable Tourism

This engagement forms part of the broader contribution of the Brussels office to shaping European tourism policy. Key topics discussed during the event also included dispersing tourism flows to protect heritage and nature, improving cross-border connectivity, cycling tourism, rural employment and seasonality, as well as accessibility for travellers with disabilities.

TUI's engagement in Brussels goes beyond individual events. Other similar initiatives include Ralf Pastleitner, Director of TUI Group Corporate Office EU, chairing the Green Subgroup of Tourism for Transition (T4T), the European Commission expert group supporting the implementation of the EU Tourism Transition Pathway and contributing to the upcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism. This week, the subgroup held a coordination meeting and is now finalising preparations for an upcoming interview/podcast on the topic of ‘Climate Change Mitigation in Destinations’, following the recent T4T webinar on the economic benefits of the green transition for tourism destinations.

The Athens Dialogue provided a valuable opportunity to exchange perspectives with stakeholders from across the European tourism ecosystem and to contribute to ongoing discussions shaping the future of sustainable tourism in Europe.