On Thursday 16 December, the European Commission presented the social economy action plan which proposes a consistent set of measures to let the social economy fulfil its potential contribution to fair, sustainable and inclusive growth.
In the framework of this event, the plan was announced as a turning point in the scale of representation of the social economy in Europe. It is a strong commitment at the European level which provides ideas, guidance and policies that recognise diversity and create a level playing field for social enterprises and social economy entities.
According to the European Commission, the social economy involved 2.8 million organisations and entities in Europe, more than 13 million paid jobs, 6.3% of the workforce, and between 0.6-9.9% of all jobs across the Member States in 2021. These social actors cope daily with difficulties to develop and scale up their activities due to the lack of understanding and recognition of the economic panorama.
In this sense, the International Social Tourism Organisation (ISTO) highlights that the tourism sector is increasingly committed to a social approach in the development of its activities. This can be observed in the sector’s engagement with local communities' well-being, and its investment in social initiatives that are sustainable and accessible.
In order to reinforce the relevance of tourism stakeholders in the social economy, ISTO invites its members and partners to take part in this initiative.
You may find all the information about the EC Social Economy Action Plan here.
