20 organizations representing the travel and tourism sector at the European level have signed the Agreement on the Code of Conduct for data sharing in the tourism sector, taking another step towards digitalization.
According to the Schengenvisainfo portal, in a statement published on March 8, the European Tourism Commission (ETC) confirmed that this decision was taken in an attempt to respond to the transition of tourism to digital technologies. The same non-binding document explained the main aspects to be considered in data-sharing agreements.
According to the ETC, tourism-related data is increasingly important and at the same time a defining resource for competition, innovation, and job creation in the sector. Given that tourism accounts for 10% of the EU GDP, the development of the data economy in tourism at the EU level is very important.
Thus, with the creation and approval of this Code of Conduct, European stakeholders are defining the proper conditions for permanent tourism-related data exchange tools.
“This document is aimed at building trust between tourism stakeholders and providing support in creating mutually beneficial data-sharing agreements in the tourism industry,” ETC said in a statement. In this regard, the ETC added that through common principles, including definitions of interoperability, security, and accountability, as well as guidelines for data sharing, this document contributes to a pan-European architecture for the sharing of non-personal data.
In addition, the body noted that the new document is being created in time to qualitatively respond to some problems related to the access, use, and exchange of data. It also discussed how to ensure privacy and security during data collection and processing.
It is believed that the document will also create a level playing field in which the public and private sectors as well as stakeholders will have equal chances and opportunities to use and share tourism data. The agreement is also a tool for the active exchange of data related to tourism. This is a serious step on the way to the goals of a common European tourist information space, which is also at the stage of preparation, the publication said.