On 13 February, Minister Weyts attended the Informal Meeting of Ministers of Tourism of the EU in Sofia. He and his European colleagues discussed the role of tourism for economic growth and the implications of the introduction of the shared economy in the tourism sector.
Minister Weyts presented the Flemish regulatory framework for tourist accommodations. This regulation describes the basic obligations in terms of hygiene, comfort and (fire) safety for all suppliers of tourist accommodations, from traditional hoteliers to occasional Airbnb advertisers. Minister Weyts: "A level playing field is created for all players so that all entrepreneurs operate equally in a highly competitive atmosphere."
In the margins of the Informal Meeting, Minister Weyts met with Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili. This was the first meeting between the two since Pololikashvili was appointed UNWTO Secretary General on January 1st . Flanders has been an associate member of UNWTO since 1997.
Bulgarian presidency of the European Union
