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European Travel Commission

ETC

The European Travel Commission (ETC) represents the national tourism organisations of Europe.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Daniel Attard (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

10 Dec 2025 · Sustainable Tourism

Meeting with Maja Bakran (Deputy Director-General Mobility and Transport)

23 Oct 2025 · Brainstorming session with ETC on European tourism branding and promotion

Meeting with Anna Panagopoulou (Cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas), Filippo Terruso (Cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas)

22 May 2025 · Open Consultation on the forthcoming Strategy on Sustainable Tourism

Meeting with Daniel Attard (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Feb 2025 · Logistical Meeting

Meeting with Daniel Attard (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Jan 2025 · Cooperation for the Upcoming Year

Meeting with Sérgio Gonçalves (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Oct 2024 · Priorities for this mandate in the TRAN Committee

Meeting with Rosa Serrano Sierra (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Oct 2024 · Priorities for European Commission 2024-2029

Meeting with Daniel Attard (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Oct 2024 · Priorities for European Travel Commission

Meeting with Josianne Cutajar (Member of the European Parliament) and European Health Management Association asbl

9 Apr 2024 · European Health Tourism Industry Summit

Response to Digitalisation of visa procedures

24 Jun 2022

The European Travel Commission (ETC) is the umbrella organisation representing 35 National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) in Europe, within the EU and beyond. Its mission is to strengthen the sustainable development of Europe as a tourist destination. ETC is the body responsible for the promotion of Europe as the worldwide number one tourist destination in key visitor markets around the world. The citizens of many of these markets (e.g. China and India) still need a Schengen visa to travel to Europe. ETC and its member NTOs welcome the proposal on digitalisation of the Schengen visa. As various research results have shown, more flexible visa procedures and rules could lead to a considerable increase in trips and thus have a significant economic impact. An ETC study in 2015 calculated that introducing e-visa will bring 28.3 million additional arrivals to the Schengen area, accounting for additional €37.1 billion in tourism receipts, and generating 181,000 jobs. It is therefore essential to re-evaluate the common EU visa policy as not only a tool to address security concerns, but also to minimise the deterrence to legitimate travellers, whether for leisure or professional purposes. ETC supports the European Commission’s proposal as it will reduce administrative burden and related costs, both for travellers and for the governments issuing the visas. Most importantly, digitalising the Schengen visa will simplify and harmonise the process across the different Schengen countries, and has the potential to greatly reduce the practice of “visa shopping”. ETC’s main point of concern is the proposed implementation timeline, giving Member States up to 5 years to implement new rules. According to the current timeframe, the digital process is expected be fully rolled out only in 2031. This leaves travellers with a fragmented system, posing a risk to create a patchwork of national rules (some MS offering only paper applications, some MS having a national visa website and some MS connected to the joint EU visa platform) and further encouraging the abovementioned “visa shopping” habits. We believe that with additional investments (mainly in the body implementing the digitalisation, EU-Lisa) and by shortening the transition period, the EU should aim to finalise the process by 2028 at the latest. Europe is already losing its share of international tourism arrivals, and EU visa regime isa contributory factor in this decline. To stay competitive, it is imperative that the EU’s visa policies are improved in the shortest possible timeframe. For the successful implementation of the digital Schengen visa, it will be crucial to secure the adherence of all Member States to the common platform. The process and policies for obtaining visas are key determinants in the traveller’s destination selection, and easy access to clear information is essential in this regard. This could be provided by the common European platform, which will serve as a one-stop information and application hub. Member States’ websites should not be supported after the transition period. Member States which are not part of the Schengen area should also be allowed to join the common platform. Another important factor is the practical implementation of the proposal. Given the considerable delays affecting the roll out of current projects such as the EES and ETIAS, the EU should guarantee that EU-Lisa is properly funded and its capacity to deliver the digitalisation of the Schengen visa is continuously supported throughout the process. In order to remain the world’s first tourist destination, Europe must respond to the shifting patterns in global tourism and capitalise on the potential of tomorrow’s outbound travel markets. The Schengen Visa Digitalisation proposal is a step in the right direction. ETC encourages a positive disposition towards its implementation in as short a time frame as possible.
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Meeting with Cláudia Monteiro De Aguiar (Member of the European Parliament)

28 May 2020 · Establishing an EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism - Rapporteur

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

22 Apr 2020 · Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism: follow-up meeting

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

2 Apr 2020 · COVID 19 economic impact on European tourism industry

Meeting with Alicja Magda Herbowska (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics) and European Cyclists' Federation

6 Jun 2016 · European year of cultural heritage 2018