EUR 2.9 Billion Allocated to Boost Green Transport Connectivity Across Europe
Berlin | March 2026-At ITB Berlin, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas outlined plans for the European Union’s first comprehensive strategy for sustainable tourism, describing it as a “crisis- and future-proof tourism model.”
The strategy, scheduled for presentation this spring, aims to strengthen resilience, improve cross-border mobility and embed sustainability into Europe’s tourism framework.
EUR 2.9 Billion for Greener Connectivity
To accelerate progress, the European Union will make EUR 2.9 billion available in the short term to improve connectivity between transport modes, with a focus on aviation and maritime sectors.
The funding will support:
- Investment in renewable and low-carbon fuels
- Improved intermodal connections between air, rail and sea transport
- Reduction of fragmentation across cross-border travel systems
Tzitzikostas emphasised that fragmented booking systems, particularly for cross-border rail tickets, and inconsistent professional qualification standards continue to create inefficiencies, higher costs and additional emissions.
Building Resilient and Competitive Tourism
While noting Europe’s strengths — including political stability, cultural diversity and established passenger rights — the Commissioner warned that international competition is intensifying.
He called for “more resilient, smarter and future-proof” structures to support sustainable and inclusive tourism over the next decade.
The EU has already taken significant steps to facilitate travel, including abolishing roaming charges, strengthening passenger rights and maintaining high aviation safety standards. The new strategy seeks to build on these foundations.
Tackling Overtourism
Climate action remains the primary challenge, but Tzitzikostas described overtourism as the second most pressing issue facing the sector.
He cautioned that excessive tourist volumes can strain infrastructure, deplete natural resources and push housing costs beyond local affordability, ultimately undermining competitiveness.
“In the long term, quality wins,” he said, urging organisers and destinations to prioritise value creation for both visitors and local communities.
Data-Driven Tourism Management
A key instrument in managing tourism flows will be the European Tourism Data Space (ETDS). The platform is designed to:
- Enable secure data exchange across the tourism ecosystem
- Support small and medium-sized enterprises
- Establish common data standards across the industry
The initiative aims to equip destinations with better tools to balance visitor numbers, sustainability goals and economic performance.
Promoting “Destination Europe”
As part of the broader strategy, the Commissioner promoted “Destination Europe” as a unified brand entry point to position the continent as a sustainable and competitive tourism destination globally.
The forthcoming EU strategy is expected to formalise policy instruments that integrate climate action, digital innovation and economic resilience into Europe’s tourism sector, reinforcing its position in an increasingly competitive global market.
