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Purpose: The paper analyses the dramatic global slowdown of tourism caused by the pandemic and how it has provided an exceptional opportunity for the tourism sector to reassess both its priorities and practices, especially in relation to our planet and society. Design/methodology/approach: This paper provides an analysis of the European Travel Commission's position regarding the development of a sustainable tourism ecosystem and the definition of new metrics to measure this transition, thus allowing European National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) to share knowledge and learn from each other. Findings: NTOs across Europe are at different stages in their journey towards a sustainable tourism development model. Some destinations are still focussing on attracting more travellers from international markets while others at a more mature stage, are switching their work towards the management of tourism flows. These latter examples support the approach that developing a tourism strategy should start with the needs of the destination, and the local people should be directly and fully involved in the tourism strategy. Initiatives such as this can support tourism decision-making based on data and firm evidence and help to address doubts and common misunderstandings around how residents feel. Originality/value: This paper highlights how the European Travel Commission, together with its members, are working towards a new world benchmark for responsible, sustainable and innovative tourism in response to exponential growth of demand, the reality of the ecological transition and the emergence of a new digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political integration of ethnic minorities is one of the most challenging tasks facing the countries of post-communist Europe. The roads to political representation in the mainstream political process are numerous and diverse. The results of the analysis support the paper's argument that electoral arrangements are important but no key to achieving meaningful political representation. Electoral arrangements thus seem to matter, but to mostly do so in situations where other factors of political mobilization seem to make representation uncertain. The effect of electoral arrangements on the success of ethnic parties is clearly mitigated by the size and dynamics of the minority they represent. However, there seems to be some link between the presence of ethnic parties in the political system and the level of political participation of the ethnic minority. Both Lijphart and Norris point out the importance of proportional representation for that aim, as this electoral system allows the representation of all social groups. Or, in the other words: "Majority rule is dangerous in divided societies, because minorities that are continually denied access to political power will feel excluded and discriminated against by the regime". Undoubtedly, electoral rules have an important effect on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, in 2008 there were approximately 77 million citizens with a basic or less than basic level of education (ISCED 2). This is 28% of the population. We find 23% of the active population in the same conditions. In some European countries this percentage exceeds 50%. The problem is present in all countries, though in highly differentiated dimensions. Compared to countries capable of potentially guaranteeing everyone the chance to achieve and exceed the levels of minimum qualifications (EQF 1 and 2), there are others in which the provisions are decidedly inadequate with regard to managing the phenomenon. Even though the matter is often neglected, current experiences in Europe - and not just in the countries with good performance - are able to show that effective solutions exist and are already in practice. This is why the study presented in this paper is aiming at learning more about existing good practices, to achieve at least one higher level of qualification in their lifetime, in particular those with low or no qualifications. The study intended to achieve these results by looking at and investigating existing good practices: supporting improvement of basic skill levels of adults and raising the qualification levels of those who do not have the EQF level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The European Trauma Course (ETC) was officially launched during the international conference of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) in 2008. The ETC was developed on behalf of ESTES (European Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery), EuSEM (European Society of Emergency Medicine), the ESA (European Society of Anaesthesiology) and the ERC. The objective of the ETC is to provide an internationally recognised and certified life support course, and to teach healthcare professionals the key principles of the initial care of severely injured patients. Its core elements, that differentiates it from other trauma courses, are a strong focus on team training and a novel modular design that is adaptable to the differing regional European requirements. This article describes the lessons learnt during the European Trauma Course development and provides an outline of the planned future development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]