On 7 May during the Committee of the Regions Plenary Session, Ms Maupertuis, European Alliance Group Vice-president, took part in a debate on the recovery of the tourism sector in the presence of Portuguese State Secretary Rita Marques, Member of the European Parliament Ms Claudia Monteiro de Aguiar and President of HOTREC Europe, Mr Jens Zimmer Christensen.
Speaking on behalf of the EA Group, Ms Maupertuis, a member of the Executive Council of Corsica, recalled the importance of tourism for the EU economy and the negative impact of the crisis in the island of Corsica.
"It was when travel was disrupted that we really realised the value of this industry, its driving role for our regional economies and the harmful effects that the pandemic could have on this sector. Corsica has paid a heavy price not only because its GDP depends on tourism for almost a third of its income, but also because as an island it is totally dependent on external transport. In the year 2020, nearly €1.5 billion, or 15% of regional GDP were lost."
Ms Maupertuis added that while REACT-EU funds have been helpful to support tourist economic activities and employment in Corsica, it is important to support investments in ports and regional airports and most importantly to restore confidence by making destinations safe from a health point of view.
"We need to strengthen coordination at the European level and adopt common and effective health and safety protocols, within a short timeframe. We are counting on the Portuguese Presidency to ensure a swift adoption of the regulation on the digital COVID 19 certificate", she said.
