The NECSTouR Executive Committee met on the 29 and 30 January in Brussels, at the Scotland Europa premises.

First Meeting. It has been the occasion for the members of the NECSTouR Executive Committee - Catalonia (Presidency), Andalusia and Flanders (Vice-Presidency), Tuscany (Secretary General), Västra Götaland (Treasurer), Danish Western Coast Partnership, Emilia-Romagna, Galicia, Île-de-France, Scotland and South Limburg - to met for the first time as the new Executive Committee, as elected for the mandate 2019-2021 at the last Annual General Meeting.

Regional Priorities. The meeting opened with a Round Table Pitch to give the opportunity to each of the members to share the main actions and initiatives that are currently in the pipeline and that characterise the DNA of their Tourism Policies. Similarities and peculiarities arised as a great source of inspiration. The main common topics are: fighting against seasonality and climate change, relievement of the pressure by the most crowded spots, diversification of the offer and improvement of the tourism experience.

NECSTouR "Five S" for the Sustainable Tourism of Tomorrow - Smart, Socio-Cultural, Skills, Safety and Statistics - as approved by the last NECSTouR Annual General Meeting  has been at the core of the debate. A whole morning has been dedicated to define their coherence with the main regional priorities and the current and future global trends, preparing the new NECSTouR strategy 2019-2021, that will be presented and approved on the occasion of the next NECSTouR Annual General Meeting in June.

Better Places to Live, Better Places to Visit. The meeting has been also the occasion to define a common strategy, to make of the 5 Principles NECSTouR Barcelona Declaration "Better Places to Live, Better Places to Visit" the core inspiration for NECSTouR in the upcomign years. Actions to capitalise all the tangible outcomes that will spout out by their application by the NECSTouR Regions has also been debated and approved.

EU Tourism Policy Post-2020. A specific capacity building session (download the PPT) on the future of the EU Tourism Policy in the framework of the Multi-AnnualFramework (MFF) 2021-2027 has been provided by Lynne Ross, Senior EU Policy Executive at Scotland Europa. It has been the opportunity to have an overview on the current negotiation phases for the post-2020 MFF and to plan future lobby actions, claiming for a better recognition of the role that Regions can play towards a more Sustainable Tourism at the EU level.