Transatlantic summit in New York: Securing the future of travel!

Transatlantic summit in New York: Securing the future of travel!

At the “Skift Transatlantic Summit” in New York, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, gave the opening speech. This summit, organized by the European Travel Commission, brought together 150 senior tourism representatives and aimed to discuss the dynamics of travel between Europe and North America. Tzitzikostas highlighted the economic benefits of transatlantic travel flows, highlighting that the US is the most important long-distance travel market for Europe because American visitors stay longer and spend more money.

The numbers speak for themselves: Last year, almost 10 million Europeans traveled to the USA, while Americans spent over 34 million nights in Europe. Tzitzikostas pointed to the challenges in the transport sector, which are compounded by geopolitical changes and digital innovations. Summit participants explored ways to strengthen collaborations to promote more sustainable travel.

Transatlantic Relations and Tourism

Transatlantic relations are based on shared values ​​and historical experiences, strengthened by close cultural, social, political and economic ties between Germany, the USA and Canada. The summit highlights not only tourism connections, but also the fundamental importance of cooperation between the two continents. These important connections promote peace, stability, security, democracy and human rights. Germany, together with its transatlantic partners, is committed to these common interests, also in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

During the summit, Tzitzikostas also expressed the need to address transport infrastructure challenges, citing investments in high-speed trains and multimodal transport in Europe. Meanwhile, the USA is modernizing its infrastructure. The upcoming European tourism strategy will be presented until 2026 and will focus on more sustainable destinations and digital innovations. Tzitzikostas underlined the role of tourism as a “soft power,” creating millions of jobs and fostering connections between communities.

Personal encounters and conversations

On the sidelines of the forum, Tzitzikostas held personal meetings with various tourism representatives and leaders from the EU and the US. He met the Archbishop of America, the EU Ambassador to the UN and the Consul General of Greece in New York. These encounters demonstrate the will to cooperate not only in the tourism sector, but also in other areas, such as global climate protection and sustainable energy transformation.

Transatlantic cooperation is crucial for global order and stability, especially in times of crisis. The close exchange on defense and economic policy measures shows the importance of these relationships for both sides of the Atlantic. Profitable and sustainable tourism strategies could help further strengthen ties between the US and Europe and respond to current challenges.

reports that... Foreign Office adds that...