Currently, Europe holds over 40% of the total market share of tourism. This accounts for 10.3% of the European GDP and 11.7% of the total EU labour force (approximately 26 million FTEs). In 2017, this translated into €342 Billion of international receipts representing 31% of the world tourism earnings.    The sector is in transition due to various internal and external challenges that includes competition from other emerging markets, attractiveness of other continents, European congestion (including transport infrastructure limitation), sustainability, management of flows, climate change, digital technology (changes in the business models), investment and access to finance and other hybrid threats.     For this reason, the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU, will be organizing at its premised a half day seminar on the 27th June 2019 between 09.00 hours until lunch time. This event aims to explore the realities of the tourism industry within a global cntext and the current and foreseeable challenges together with the possible opportunities. This industry does not operate in a vacuum, but its success can only be attained by ensuring an adaptable and an employable labor force. This may only be achieved if all the available tools and resources are put to a good and effective use.     Harmonising the tourism sector is not the way forward but creating an effective and a practical channel allowing an exchange of good practices and constant communication between operators, stakeholders and policy makers would certainly benefit all stakeholders.  This event brings together policy makers, operators and stakeholders to debate and share information on the following issues : -  • What are the possible pathways for the EU’s tourism industry to remain sustainable and competitive within the global context?  • Is there a role to be played by policy at a pan-European level?  • How to strike a balance on the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality? • How can we present the right and effective funding opportunities within the next multi financial framework?  • How to overcome the information gap and related capacity building for tourism SMEs?  • How can we adopt a regional approach that substantiates the EU’s peripheries and regional connectivity? • Smart cities and digital transformation – a reality or pie in the sky?    For reservations please email:  events.maltarep@gov.mt