Climate action is not just a challenge for business and consumers. System change needs effective policy and finance, and gaps are appearing in both political ambition and practical implementation. The UK government, an early adopter of legally enforceable goals, also has the distinction of having its own net-zero climate strategy recently declared unlawful due to inadequacy (report here). The EU, no less ambitious, is determined to make swift progress in implementation of its Green Deal. With the prospect of fossil fuel shortage this winter, the imperative to reduce use and accelerate transition to renewables is clear, but so is its conflict with some short-term economic and geo-political calculation.

For more on ETOA and climate click here.

Product diversification is another goal of ETOA’s sustainability work – helping spread the benefit of tourism throughout Europe’s destinations: our commercial networking events stimulate new product ideas, and our policy work explores the wider context. In addition to the Rotterdam event below, we will be speaking at our partners Catalonia and NECSTouR’s regenerative tourism event in Barcelona this September (more information here) and at a NECSTouR panel on ‘The Transition Towards a Smarter and Greener Sustainable Tourism Ecosystem in the Mediterranean’ during the EU’s week of Regions and Cities in Brussels in October.

Tourism Manifesto

On 29th June, ETOA joined other supporters of the European Tourism Manifesto alliance at a meeting in Brussels at a working session, and then later at a reception hosted in the European Parliament. The Manifesto came together in 2015 as a consensus-building forum for the sector, becoming an effective talking partner for institutions as well as an advocate for tourism’s value. Its future role will remain strategic, focusing on key priorities such as tourism’s appeal as a career, and its relationship with destinations.

Improve your B2B strategy in 2022, meet quality contacts:

Despite the challenges and difficulties, the tourism industry kept its reputation as one of the most resilient industries and 2022 is the proof that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This is reflected in the bookings, the return of long haul markets and how the industry adapted to the new reality for instance offering tours with smaller groups to secondary destinations. This means that buyers are constantly looking for new product but also updates on current measures in place and novelties directly from suppliers. To facilitate this exchange, we offer in-person and online events with guaranteed meetings based on delegates’ preferences.

This year’s Global European Marketplace (GEM) edition will be back to full strength with 800 delegates and plenty of formal and informal networking opportunities across two days, 3rd and 4th November 2022:

• 3rd November: Tourism conference
  4th November: Pre-scheduled B2B appointments and social

It will be the perfect time for supplier and buyers to regroup and engage after a busy summer season and maximise their investment with the guarantee to meet a great number of quality contacts in a couple of days. We are expecting over 400 suppliers from 30+ European destinations and over 250 international buyers and we are thrilled to see so many of you already registered: 239 suppliers and 142 buyers already booked their space, join them!

GEM is a member exclusive event, if you wish to join the ETOA community and participate contact info@etoa.org

As outbound travel from Asia is continuing to grow and positive signs are seen in key markets, we are delighted to announce that the postponed European Travel Marketplace | East & South East Asia 2022 will take place online on 22nd November. Previously focused solely on China, this year’s edition has expanded its market scope to include various East and South East Asia source markets as Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and more.

60 buyers have already registered, with more joining every day.

If you are looking for new clients and partners in Asia, this is the opportunity not to miss:

ETOA members who already booked another event in 2022 have access to the promotional add-on rate of €400 (limited places still available at this price).

COVID-19 travel restrictions and requirements

Depending on the person travelling and origin country, COVID-19 certification is still required for border entry in 5 EU member states – France, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands and Spain. From 25th July, Malta will no longer require it for arrivals from all countries. All EU member states have removed the requirement for vaccine, recovery, or test certification to enter cultural and hospitality facilities in-destination.
Further information can be found clicking the banner below, including a summary of requirements and when forms must be completed to enter France, Netherlands and Spain, and when certification must be shown.

Entry/Exit System (EES)

The European Commission has announced a new start month (May 2023) for the Entry/Exit System (EES). The EES affects non-EU nationals entering the Schengen Area (22 EU and 4 EFTA member states). Bulgaria and Romania will also implement the EES but not fully. Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland will not implement it.

The EES is an automated IT system for registering both short-stay visa-requiring and visa-exempt non-EU nationals at borders. There is no cost for non-EU nationals. It will replace manual stamping in a passport and enable use of e-gates. Discussions continue between the European Commission and industry on the implementation process and collection of passenger data.

Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)

Following the new start date for EES, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is now scheduled to be operational in November 2023. Visa-exempt non-EU nationals (aged between 18 and 70) will require a pre-clearance permit to enter the Schengen Area, plus Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. Ireland will be the only EU member state to not implement ETIAS.

The permit is still expected to cost €7 per person, be valid for 3 years (or until expiration of travel document i.e. passport) and allow multiple entry during this time. The official website to apply for the permit is not yet launched.

We will continue to provide updates on both EES and ETIAS. Further information, including the latest announcement from UK government on timeframe for rollout of ETA in 2023, can be found on our Visas and Borders page.

European Tourism Industry 2022

What are the most resilient European destinations and which source markets are making a difference in 2022? Despite a slow start, 2022 has so far proven to be the year of recovery as confirmed by our partner ForwardKeys, during our webinar ‘State of Play for the European Tourism Industry 2022’.

Some of the main takeaways from this webinar:

• International travel to Europe grew from -53% in the first quarter of 2022 (compared to 2019) to -36%, but with a lot of last-minute bookings, this number can quickly change.
• People want to travel and do so as soon as restrictions disappear.
• Global airline capacity has been up in 2022.
• Travel patterns are different now with longer stays, smaller groups, and travellers still prefer outdoors and nature for their holidays.
• Main reasons for travel are visiting friends and relatives and leisure travel; in fact leisure is recovering faster than business travel.

Another topic discussed during this webinar was the impact on travel of the Russia Ukraine conflict, which was minor according to the data. Central and Eastern Europe ticket sales went down during the first weeks of the conflict. However, as it was clear that the conflict wouldn’t expand to other destinations, travel confidence rose again and tickets to Europe reached 82% (compared to 2019) in the end of April. Shares of Russian travellers visiting European countries has reduced as expected, so countries depending on this source market must look at trends and data and adapt their strategy and marketing to attract new source markets.

Biggest markets for arrival in Europe as of May 2022 were: intra-Regional 54%, North America 31%. Main source markets for the summer season include Israel, Canada, USA and intra-European source markets as Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and UK. The number of UK travellers visiting European destination are up compared to 2019. USA as well is back with strong numbers with booking surpassing 2019 for certain European destinations like Portugal (35% more) and Greece (21% more) for instance.