ABTA opened 2026 by setting out a regulatory agenda shaped by border reform, consumer rules and longer-term UK-EU travel issues. For travel businesses and passengers alike, the message was that operational change and policy change will keep moving together this year.
ABTA's opening assessment for 2026 argues that travel businesses are entering the year with a crowded policy and operational agenda. Its five-priority list ranges from border systems and pricing rules to artificial intelligence, youth mobility and accessibility.
The EU response to terrorism has grown from emergency measures into a broader framework covering borders, financing, online content, databases and judicial cooperation.
European tourism is recovering, but the next phase will be defined by smarter borders, stronger connectivity and more sustainable destination management. Here is how visas, rail, staffing and overtourism are shaping the sector.
Travel in Europe is changing in 2026. From digital border checks and new entry permits to rising tourist taxes and stricter rules on visitor behavior, travelers should prepare for a more regulated and more expensive experience across the continent.