News

ABTA used its World Travel Market plans to position member support as a mix of networking, industry insight and practical policy discussion. Among the topics on the agenda were Holiday Habits research and a dedicated session on EES and ETIAS.

At the start of 2025, the central message for British travellers was that the EU's next border changes were still delayed. The Entry/Exit System had to come first, and the later ETIAS permit could only follow once that system had been fully running for months.

The promise of more eGate access for British travellers sounded dramatic, but the practical picture was narrower. Faster processing at some airports was possible, yet the legal status of UK travellers at the EU border and the underlying entry rules were not being rewritten.

ABTA's reading of the Brexit White Paper was cautiously positive for the travel sector, but far from settled. The document reflected several industry priorities while still leaving important commercial and political questions open.

Five years after the UK left the EU, mobility remains possible but less frictionless. New border routines, document checks, and incoming digital authorisation systems are reshaping how people move between Britain and Europe.

A 2026 protest threat by truck drivers in parts of the Balkans showed that the EU's Entry/Exit System was not only a passenger issue. The row highlighted how stricter digital enforcement of time limits in Schengen could affect freight, border flows and summer travel planning.

ABTA presented its autumn schedule as a practical chance to meet members, share industry updates and discuss the coming effects of EES and ETIAS in person. The message was less about a single announcement and more about sustained engagement across the season.

Australian travellers are facing new pre-travel requirements for both the United States and Europe. The US Global Entry programme and the EU's ETIAS both require advance authorisation before crossing their respective borders.

Airports can lower EES-related delays by combining technology with practical queue management. A coordinated plan across staffing, terminal design, and passenger messaging is central to resilient border operations.

ABTA used an early 2024 webinar announcement to underline how significant EES and ETIAS would be for UK travel businesses. The immediate priority was to get accurate information from the agencies building the systems before customer confusion spread.