Ryanair has outlined a plan it believes could see European tourism grow by more than twice the predicted 4% next year and promote the benefits of continent-wide low-cost air travel.
Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer, said the Irish carrier hoped the five-point proposal would emphasize how low-fare flights were a "key driver" of regional tourism and job creation across Europe, TTG Media reported.
“Tourism contributes up to 15% of European GDP each year and supports over 12% of the jobs within the EU," he said, adding that the plan could help domestic tourism within Europe grow by 10% in 2018 and create an additional two million jobs across EU countries in the tourism sector.
Ryanair has also called for the lowering airport costs and removing taxes on short-haul travel within Europe, as well as addressing what the Irish carrier dubbed “accommodation shortage driving up prices" by lowering costs and building more hotels.
The airline also called for an improvement in the marketing of EU destinations to encourage European citizens to holiday on the continent and the development of new regional resorts such as southern Italy and northern Spain.
Ryanair also urged European nations to create more year-round tourism offerings and "off-peak" seasonal city break travel opportunities.
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