ETOA newsletter

ETOA News, Spring 2023

The 2023 season is well underway. European destinations are welcoming tourists from near and far, and the B2B travel trade calendar is as busy as ever.

ETOA’s membership keeps developing with a range of new organisations and partners joining us every month. If you would like to know more about who our members are, have a look at our new webpage Members in Numbers where we drill down which source markets our members represent, which products they sell and where they are based. All our members can be found via our advanced member search. Only members can use the advanced search functions and access contact details. If you would like to know more about membership, please contact us.

In this newsletter you will find updates on recent policy news and insights, and read about upcoming and past events.

Talent and Skills Shortage in Tourism

The sector’s continued struggles with recruitment and development affect service standards, product availability and price. While the hospitality sector is hardest hit, ETOA members report shortage of coach drivers and guides. ETOA joined its partner CityDNA at its conference in Sofia to discuss the issues with destinations from across Europe.

Pantour Skills Survey

ETOA is a member of an EU-funded project PANTOUR. It seeks to benefit job seekers, unemployed and employed workers from the tourism industry, employers, and SMEs, and has dedicated special attention to the reskilling and upskilling of the workforce on future skills needs.

This Skills Survey will investigate whether a gap exists between current levels of skills in the tourism industry and the future skills needed in 2030. The survey helps to chart the importance of three distinct skills: social, digital, and green, for tourism businesses in the European Union.

Your input is highly appreciated. The survey is expected to take approximately 10-12 minutes.

Take the survey

Jobs in EU Tourism

Meanwhile, the European Commission has launched a long-term initiative entitled Jobs in EU Tourism. Its goal is to find the most effective strategies to address staff shortages in the tourism industry, focusing on the hospitality sector. EU organisations, businesses and individuals are welcome to respond.

Take the survey

ETOA Events

Since January over 750 tourism professionals have attended our B2B workshops. Thank you to all who joined. The Britain & Ireland Marketplace (BIM) was our largest to date and we will shortly launch the 2024 edition. In February we were finally back in Denmark for our second in-person edition of The Nordic Marketplace. Our 2024 edition will once again take place at Tivoli Hotel & Congress Center. Save the date for 20 February 2024.

Industry Day in Brussels

On 2 March ETOA welcomed its Advisory Council, strategic partners ETC and NECSTouR, members and guests for an Industry Day in its Brussels office. Formal sessions covered topics from business outlook and tourism policy to operational challenges and destination strategy. With insights from destination managers and operators, panelists and audience explored how more dynamic public-private collaboration would support sectoral transition. The event was opened by István Ujhelyi MEP and was followed by a networking drinks reception for local stakeholders.

Upcoming events

Make sure you book your place now for our upcoming workshops to avoid missing out. Our next three B2B events are all in person, including our new event, Destinations Exchange Europe. Access to Destination Exchange Europe is only for ETOA and CityDNA members. GEM is ETOA’s flagship member-only event timed just before WTM London. Read more about how to join.

Destinations Exchange Europe
12-13 June, London

China European Marketplace
11 September, Shanghai

The Global European Marketplace
2-3 November, London

Destination partnerships

We have ongoing partnerships with a range of national and local tourism boards to support their travel trade reach through online and in-person events, seminars, gala dinners and solus email promotion to our 375+ buyer members.

On behalf of VisitScotland, ETOA facilitated a top-level round-table discussion on product and development in Scotland back in March with a selection of ETOA buyer members. The round-table discussion was followed by a drinks reception.

Last week, we joined our partner CityDNA at their conference in Sofia, joining a panel on sectoral skills and recruitment challenges. This week, for the 9th time, we supported Athens Development & Destination Management Agency with buyer recruitment and appointment matching at their annual Travel Trade Athens. Furthermore, we contributed to the Athens Agora discussion on sustainability and destination strategy the following day.

If you would like to know more about how ETOA works with European destinations, find out more here or contact us.

For further information download the Destination Partners booklet

Download your copy HERE

Upcoming Partner Events

TravelTech Show, London

TravelTech Show connects travel technology buyers with solutions, brings partners together and nurtures the industry. Over two days, you can discover all the latest trends, develop your technology processes, and connect with experts in the industry all in one place. It is free for travel technology specialists involved in or responsible for the technology within their travel business and consultants who help travel companies select technology solutions.

BESTIVAL, Berlin

BESTIVAL, the MICE and TRAVEL industry business festival in Berlin is going into the third round on 6 & 7 July 2023. With 50+ speakers & live acts, more than 100 Berlin suppliers, over 800 participants from many countries and five different experiences areas, it remains different from other classic industry events.

Insights & Webinars

Insights and reports

Have you had a look at our Insight Hub recently? We continue to add relevant insights and reports.

Tourism Economics: Europe’s Long Haul Travel Recovery
A succinct summary of prospects for the recovery of long-haul tourism to Europe over the next few years, highlighting that despite eased travel restrictions, volumes from China are not expected to regain pre-pandemic levels in the short-term, whereas visits from the USA could match those of 2019 during 2023.

Rediscovering Europe: The Return of Chinese Tourists
A comprehensive discussion examining how the habits of Chinese travellers are changing and what they expect from a holiday. The report features numerous hints and tips that it is claimed will enhance marketers’ ability to attract Chinese travellers.

ETC Intra European Travel Sentiment Wave 15
The fifteenth wave of online research looking at the extent to which Europeans are planning travel, their concerns and what factors are likely to influence behaviour. This wave finds a slight dip in travel intentions for the next six months compared with a year ago with inflationary pressures a definite concern.

Expedia Traveller Insights Q1 23
The latest Expedia Trends Report paints a broadly upbeat picture with year-on-year growth in travel searches towards the end of 2022, most especially in Asia following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in China.

ETC Long Haul Travel Barometer Jan23
An insight into how those in key long-haul source markets for Europe are feeling with regard to travelling to faraway places in the upcoming year, and broadly the sentiment is upbeat with over half of those questioned in all markets except Japan open to the idea of long-haul travel.

Webinars

Did you miss our recent webinars? Below webinars are available to view in our Insight Hub, including our webinars chaired by our partners at the Nordic Tourism Collective:

Do you have a good idea for a webinar? Is there a topic we are missing? Are we leaving out an important source market or destination? Contact Sofie Jensen if you would like to discuss.