Tourism council urges EU to fast

Europe’s travel industry wants the European Union (EU) to make visas faster, easier, and digital. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) made its case on October 9, 2026, at its 26th Global Summit in Valletta, Malta.

Its new report, Travel & Tourism in Europe: A Deep Dive Into Growth, Outlook and Policy, sets out eight priorities for governments. Border measures come first.

WTTC calls for a faster rollout of the digital Schengen visa and wider use of multiple-entry visas. It also wants an EU-wide trusted traveler scheme and a workable framework for biometrics at EU airports.

“Europe already welcomes almost half of the world’s international [travelers] … and the choices governments make now will decide how much of that growth comes here,” WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara stated.

She pointed to “faster digital visas, more visitors from beyond Europe, stronger investment and a skilled workforce” as the areas where policy can make the greatest difference.

One trip at a time

Schengen states issued 5.3 million multiple-entry visas in 2025, 40% fewer than in 2019. Their share of all visas issued fell from 59% to 51.7%.

The drop comes as overall Schengen visa issuance stays below pre-pandemic levels. WTTC argues that multiple-entry visas encourage repeat visits and help destinations build lasting ties with travelers.

The digital visa would move the process online. Travelers would apply, upload documents, and pay fees on one centralized platform, then get a digital visa instead of a passport sticker.

EU legislation already provides for the system. According to the European Commission’s reference timeline, the platform should arrive around 2030, depending on technical progress.

Fingerprints, fine print

The report also weighs the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).

The EES has been fully operational since April 10, 2026, across 29 participating European countries. WTTC acknowledges its role in border security but cites long lines, delays, and missed connections during the rollout.

The council maintains that biometric data collection must go hand in hand with smooth border crossings.

The report refers to an expected ETIAS launch in early 2027. That date is not officially confirmed, and the EU says it will announce the start date several months in advance.

Costs are another concern. WTTC warns that air passenger taxes, tourist levies, accommodation charges and travel authorizations could together dent the appeal of some destinations.

Those authorizations include the United Kingdom’s (UK) electronic travel authorization (ETA) and ETIAS, which will carry a €20 fee.

(Image courtesy of Ekaterina Belinskaya

Skip-the-line ambitions

The proposed trusted traveler program would let pre-screened travelers clear border controls faster using biometrics. They could potentially pass through without stopping at a traditional checkpoint.

WTTC wants reciprocal recognition with programs such as Global Entry in the United States (US). It also asks for consistent European rules on voluntary biometric use at airports, particularly on compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

For now, these remain industry proposals. The EU has not formally adopted them.

Close to home

Europe recorded 757.3 million international overnight arrivals in 2025, 49.1% of the global total. Nearly three in four, 74.3% or 562.4 million, came from other European countries.

Strip out travel within the region, and Europe’s travel trade balance flips. The result is a US$45 billion deficit, as Europeans spend more abroad than outside visitors spend in Europe.

Asia-Pacific arrivals remain 4.8% below 2019. China is still 43.2% below its 2019 level, while Japan and South Korea are down 30.6% and 31.2%.

Arrivals from the US are up 23.2% from 2019. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan posted gains of 73.9% and 56.7% in 2025, both from small bases.

WTTC recommends public-private marketing partnerships in long-haul markets, market-mix targets alongside volume targets and stable promotion budgets. It wants campaigns paired with easier visa access, cautioning that complicated procedures can blunt marketing efforts.

(Image courtesy of Bingqian Li

Trillion-dollar suitcase

Travel and tourism contributed almost US$3 trillion to Europe’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, or 9.4% of the regional economy. The sector supported 40.7 million jobs, around one in ten.

Countries outside the EU account for more than a quarter of that total, US$834 billion, led by the UK. The sector is forecast to grow 3.1% in 2026, against 1.1% for the wider European economy.

Germany leads at US$380 billion, followed by France at US$291 billion. Spain tops international visitor spending at US$130 billion.

Summit host Malta saw its sector contribution climb 16.8% to US$4.6 billion in 2025, against 4% growth for its wider economy. Tourism made up 16.6% of Maltese GDP and one in five jobs.

WTTC notes that its forecasts may be revised.

Beyond border booth

The remaining priorities reach past visas. WTTC wants travel and tourism recognized as a strategic ecosystem in the EU’s 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), with direct access to EU investment instruments.

Sector investment reached US$395 billion, and North America reached US$273 billion.

Germany and Greece face projected workforce shortfalls of 26% and 27% by 2035. WTTC backs apprenticeships, wider recognition of the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Passport and early completion of the UK-EU Youth Experience Scheme.

It also seeks more predictable visa procedures for international students, interns and seasonal workers. Other proposals cover climate adaptation, ringfenced visitor levies, AI support for small businesses, and stronger transport links.

(Image courtesy of Zsolt Bodnár

A well-timed pitch

The report arrives as countries roll out national tourism strategies and the European Commission prepares the EU’s first dedicated tourism strategy. MFF negotiations are ongoing.

It cites the European Parliament’s April 2026 resolution calling for tourism to be treated as a strategic sector with dedicated funding. It also points to the Council’s May 2026 conclusions.

Guevara described the moment as “a rare opportunity to treat Travel & Tourism as the strategic sector it is.” WTTC presents easier travel as a competitiveness driver that need not compromise border security or personal data protection.

Racing a slower clock

WTTC’s visa, border and cost proposals connect directly to its push for more visitors from outside Europe. Fewer multiple-entry visas, slow EES lines and stacking fees could weigh most on the long-haul travelers the council wants to attract.

The official timeline moves at its own pace. The EES is live, ETIAS has no confirmed start date, and the digital visa platform is expected around 2030.

The funding request would put a sector worth almost US$3 trillion in line for direct EU investment. WTTC’s 2036 forecasts assume governments act, and the council says those numbers may change.

The EU’s first tourism strategy, the MFF talks and an official ETIAS start date are the next markers. The trusted traveler and airport biometrics ideas remain industry proposals pending any EU action.