Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, today (25 May) launched a 5 point plan to grow European tourism by 10% and highlighted the benefits of low cost aviation to the regions. Speaking at the Malta Tourism Conference, Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Jacobs, emphasised how low fare flights were a key driver of regional tourism and job creation, which could help grow tourism by 10% next year (vs the 4% predicted for 2018) and create an additional 2m new jobs if EU countries took the necessary steps to encourage more Europeans to holiday in Europe.

Ryanair outlined a 5 point plan to grow tourism by:

• Lowering airport costs and removing taxes on short haul travel within Europe
• Addressing the accommodation shortage that drives up prices by lowering costs and building more hotels
• Improving the marketing of EU destinations to encourage EU citizens to holiday in Europe
• Developing new regional resorts such as southern Italy and northern Spain
• Developing more year-round tourism and off-peak seasonal city break travel

Meanwhile, Ryanair’s Malta summer 2017 schedule continues to attract record bookings, with more frequencies to/from European destinations for summer family holidays, lower fares as Ryanair passes on lower fuel costs, and an even better customer experience, as it continues to roll out its “Always Getting Better” improvements.

In Malta, Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said: 

“As the largest airline in Europe, Ryanair urges EU countries to encourage more Europeans to holiday in Europe. By lowering airport costs and taxes, addressing the accommodation shortage, improving the marketing of EU destinations, promoting new regional resorts and developing a bigger year-round tourist season, European tourism can thrive and capitalise on a golden growth opportunity, at a time when European tourists are looking for alternative destinations given the decline in traffic to Turkish and North African resorts. 

 Some 130m people will fly with Ryanair across Europe this year and we have seen first-hand the regional tourism growth and job creation that low cost aviation brings, especially for Europe’s youth. This Ryanair effect has already paid dividends to regions across the EU. As demand for travel grows, aviation can further boost tourism by raising the profile of lesser known destinations. Tourism contributes up to 15% of European GDP each year, and supports over 12% of the jobs within the EU. Taking the right steps could see tourism grow by 10% next year, rather than the predicted 4%, which would create an additional 2m European jobs. 

We are pleased to report record bookings on our summer 2017 schedule, and customers can look forward to fares falling even further when they make advance bookings in 2017, so there’s never been a better time to book a low fare flight on Ryanair. We urge all customers who wish to book their holidays to do so now on the Ryanair.com website or mobile app, where they can avail of the lowest fares.”