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.
A broad coalition from Europe’s tourism and travel sector is challenging the European Commission’s proposal to raise the ETIAS fee from €7 to €20. The group says the increase is disproportionate and calls for a transparent impact assessment before any decision is finalised.
In early 2023, Spain's tourism industry raised concerns that the planned ETIAS fee could discourage visitors from one of its most important source markets. The warning was aimed not at a system already in force, but at a proposed travel authorisation still expected to arrive later.
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.
Airlines are warning that the UK's planned ETA fee increase could make the country less competitive for international visitors. The criticism comes just as the new digital travel permission is being introduced more widely.
A broad coalition from Europe’s tourism and travel sector is challenging the European Commission’s proposal to raise the ETIAS fee from €7 to €20. The group says the increase is disproportionate and calls for a transparent impact assessment before any decision is finalised.
ABTA presented EES and ETIAS as changes that travel businesses needed to explain well before implementation. Its guidance model combined a member hub, a consumer advice page and regular updates as more official detail became available.
British travellers still enjoy visa-free short trips to much of Europe, but the rules are no longer as simple as they were before Brexit. Passport validity, the 90/180-day limit, and upcoming ETIAS and EES checks now shape every journey.
Schengen remains one of the EU's clearest achievements, combining passport-free travel with shared border standards and cross-border security tools.
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.