The plurality of subjects and activities that characterize the sector, as well as the strong touristic appeal of the European territory, makes the tourism industry particularly dynamic and relevant for its economy. In Europe, the tourism industry in the narrow sense of the term (traditional providers of holidays and tourism services) is made mainly small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), employing around 27 million of people. Tourism is one of the main economic activities of the European Union, with a wide-ranging impact on economic growth, employment and social development. It can be a powerful tool in the fight against economic decline and unemployment. European policy aims to maintain Europe’s position as a leading destination, while maximizing the sector’s contribution to growth and jobs and promoting cooperation between member States of the European Union, in particular through the exchange best practices3. For this reason, the protection of competition is becoming central in this sector, and this also because of the crucial interests that are directly and indirectly involved, other than freedom of economic initiative, such as: environmental protection, culture, education, health and safety. In addressing the topic of tourism as a lever for economic development, it is necessary to start from the observation that the protection of competition in the tourism sector risks being an illusory concept if not associated with that of the sustainability of tourism development 4 which, in addition to being both economic and environmental in nature, must also include aspects of a social, cultural and political nature. 3 Since 2001 the European Commission has published several communications, the latest in 2014, in which they define its political orientations for the development of the tourism sector. These are: • COM(2007)0621 ) of 19 October 2007 – Agenda for sustainable and competitive European tourism – defining how sustainable development could ensure the long-term competitiveness of tourism and announcing a three-year series of preparatory activities; • COM(2010)0352 ) of 30 June 2010 – Europe, the world’s leading tourist destination – a new policy framework for tourism in Europe – analyzing the factors that make the European tourism industry competitive and the obstacles to its development sustainable; • COM(2012)0649 ) of 7 November 2012 – Implementation and development of the common visa policy to stimulate growth in the EU – which aims to bring about an increase in the number of tourists from third countries visiting the EU by establishing a common visa policy; • COM(2014)0086) of 20 February 2014 – A European strategy for more growth and jobs in coastal and maritime tourism – which aims to promote sustainable growth and competitiveness in coastal and maritime tourism. 4 Environmental protection profiles are the subject of particular attention at the level of the European Green Deal which enhances the link between environmental sustainability and economic development: see COM (2019) 640 of 11.12.2019; see S. Cavaliere, Potenzialità e criticità delle misure a favore del settore turistico, Rassegna di diritto pubblico Europeo, no. 1, 2024, p. 86. 150 ROSARIA GAROZZO
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