The Euro and tourism

In adopting the report on the euro and tourism by Mrs Helena TORRES MARQUES (PSE, P), the European Parliament expressed the view that the euro was potentially a major instrument for decisively improving the existing situation in the tourism industry, leading to an increase in its market share worldwide. The introduction of the single currency would make it much easier to travel and invest within the euro zone, and tourists would be among the first to benefit directly from the advantages of the euro, due to the disappearance of commission charges on currency transactions and the disappearance of the discrepancy between buying and selling rates. In order to make the most of these advantages, Parliament called on the tourism industry to adapt to the single currency without delay, for example by quoting prices in euro. It advocated adopting measures to advertise the advantages of the euro to potential tourists, both inside and outside the EU. The introduction of the single currency would also be a major challenge to tourism businesses, many of which were SMEs. Accordingly, Parliament called for special financing programmes to be launched to facilitate the transition to the euro for them. It was also important to draw up programmes to prepare staff for the forthcoming changes, in view of the crucial role they would have to play in providing information about the euro to millions of consumers. Parliament drew attention to the very difficult situation which would be faced by the tourism industry in regions adjoining the euro zone, and accordingly stressed the need to step up such Community programmes as Interreg. �