With the Lisbon Treaty, tourism becomes an official area of interest for the Union and falls within its supporting competences. Tourism as an economic activity can create development and employment in the European Union, while contributing to European integration.

This work, after a complete reference to the history, organs, role, and institutions of the European Union, answers, among other things, the following questions: what does it mean that tourism belongs to the supporting competences of the EU? Can a European citizen freely practice the profession of a tour guide in any EU member state? Is the provision of maritime transport free in EU member states? What rights does an airline passenger have in case of flight cancellation or delay, or denial of boarding? What is the ecological label of the EU in tourist accommodation businesses and in which cases is it awarded? What rights and obligations arise from organized trips? How do tourism statistics work in the EU?

In particular, the book is structured into six parts. Part I presents the history of the European Union, the Founding Treaties, the Single European Act, and the subsequent Treaties of Maastricht, Amsterdam, Nice, and Lisbon, with an analysis of their institutional structures, policies, and fields of action. Part II refers to the institutional framework of the European Union. The legislative bodies of the European Union, such as the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, and the European Commission, as well as the judicial bodies of the Union, the European Central Bank and the European Investment Bank, and other advisory and independent bodies of the European Union, are presented in an understandable and concise manner. Part III examines the functioning of the European Union. Issues related to the framework of principles, competences, legislative procedure, free movement, and the budget of the European Union are investigated. Part IV extensively presents all the elements related to the main theme of the book, namely the tourism phenomenon in the European Union. Specifically, the institutional framework of tourism, the action of the European Union's institutional bodies in tourism over time, as well as European initiatives and policies in tourism are analyzed in detail. Part V concerns the free provision of services in the tourism sector, and specifically examines the provision of guiding services and the free provision of maritime transport. Finally, Part VI presents specific issues of tourism in the European Union, such as the ecological label, organized trips, compensation for air passengers, and tourism statistics in the EU.

The work is accompanied by a rich Greek and foreign-language bibliography, as well as an index of the main terms encountered by the reader in the book. It is a useful tool for tertiary education students, as well as for anyone professionally involved in the field of tourism.