Tourism In European Union Law

Abstract

Tourism is a very important economic sector within the European Union, while also playing a key role in political, social and cultural integration. Nevertheless, the EU took a late interest in this sector, beginning only in the 1980s. Starting then, EU intervention in matters of tourism began to pass through a series of phases, during which EU performance was alternately more or less intense. A study of these phases reveals the consequences of a certain inefficiency as a result of the lack of sufficient legal support in the European Constitution for the development of a real EU policy in this sector. With the arrival of the 21^st century, and as new EU powers in matters of tourism have been incorporated into the Lisbon Treaty, performance by the European Union in the tourism sector has changed its perspective, putting quality and competitiveness within reach through sustainability in the sector, a basic element of performance in matters of tourism.