ETC | ANNUAL REPORT 2025

ETC Members

ETC Associate Members

Message from ETC
President and CEO/Executive Director

In 2025, European tourism continued to demonstrate resilience, with strong demand across key international markets. While travel to Europe remains robust, destinations are increasingly focused on managing growth responsibly and responding to evolving traveller expectations.

To reinforce Europe's position as a top global destination, strengthening Brand Europe is essential. In 2025, ETC advanced this ambition through the launch of the Unlock an Unexpected Upgrade campaign and high-impact engagement in priority markets, such as the Skift Transatlantic Summit in the US and Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan.

We also focused on placing communities at the heart of tourism. The Reykjavík Declaration reinforces our shared commitment to ensuring that tourism enriches local life, safeguards Europe's heritage, and enhances visitor satisfaction.

ETC also supports its members in futureproofing the industry. In 2025, we released a report on artificial intelligence in tourism to strengthen NTOs' operations, as well as a strategic foresight study on tourism futures, providing insights to help destinations adapt to change and build long-term resilience.

By making strategic decisions today, we can ensure that tourism remains a true force for good - delivering lasting value for travellers, businesses, and local communities alike.

Eduardo Santander
CEO/Executive Director

Miguel Sanz
President

Eduardo Santander
CEO/Executive Director

Miguel Sanz
President

ETC Board of Directors

President

Miguel
Sanz

Spain

Vice-Presidents

Lidija
Bajarūnienė

Lithuania

Kristjan
Staničić

Croatia

Ana Tripković
Marković

Montenegro

Board of Directors

Astrid
Steharnig-Staudinger

Austria

Peter De
Wilde

Belgium

Petra
Hedorfer

Germany

Alessandra
Priante

Italy

František
Reismüller

Czechia

Arnar Már
Ólafsson

Iceland

Sebastian
Reddeker

Luxembourg

Carlos
Abade

Portugal

DRAG TO VIEW

National Tourism Organisations
step into the AI era

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant prospect for businesses and public institutions, but a part of everyday operations across sectors. Tourism is no exception. From daily campaign development to market trend analysis, AI tools are reshaping how National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) plan, communicate, and make decisions.

Yet a clear paradox is emerging: while marketing and research teams are enthusiastically experimenting with new tools, governance frameworks, formal roadmaps and specialised skills remain uneven. Recognising this gap, ETC undertook a comprehensive mapping study – AI in Tourism: Assessing and Supporting NTOs’ Research & Marketing Operations – to assess current use and identify how NTOs can scale AI responsibly.

The report provides European NTOs with clear, practical tools to make the most of AI – from roadmaps for marketing, research and organisational use, to simple do’s and don’ts, real-world case studies, and an overview of upcoming rules like the EU AI Act. It also offers a future outlook, reviewing trends and three scenarios for knowledge work in the next decade.

Learn More

Actions for scaling AI in Europe’s NTOs 

Build role-specific
AI skills across
teams

Allocate
structured time for
experimentation

Develop clear,
function-level AI
roadmaps

Scale successful
pilots into sustained
operations

Foster shared
learning across
institutions 

Key AI applications delivering the most value to NTO research and marketing teams

Research
Tasks

Marketing
Tasks

Desk Research

75%

Administration
and Communications

54%

Scripting

50%

Data Analysis

39%

Questionnaire Design

39%

Copywriting

68%

Search and
Media Management

54%

Advertising

46%

Content Creation

46%

Segmentation
and Personalisation

29%

Based on Survey Responses, April 2025

Europe returns to New York:
transatlantic travel in focus

In October, ETC returned to New York to spotlight one of the most dynamic and influential travel corridors in the world: Europe and North America.

“The EU and the US form the largest travel and tourism market in the world. Together, we can make travel smoother, more reliable and more sustainable.”

EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport
and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas

Stakeholder dialogue
with EU commissioner

ETC convened European destinations, travel trade and European Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas for an informal, high-level dialogue.

The exchange enabled stakeholders to share on-the-ground insights, address challenges, and explore opportunities to strengthen Europe’s positioning in the U.S. market. Discussions also focused on advancing sustainability, improving connectivity, and aligning public and private efforts around a common vision for Destination Europe.

Hosted by:
In partnership with:

Skift Transatlantic Summit

In partnership with Skift and hosted by Mastercard, ETC co-organised a flagship summit gathering over 100 senior leaders from destinations, airlines, and travel tech. Through candid discussions and expert panels, the event explored key trends shaping the corridor, including AI-driven marketing, sustainable tourism, and intermodal connectivity.

The summit reinforced the importance of collaboration and innovation in driving future growth across the Atlantic.

Sponsored by:
Hosted by:

Preparing European tourism for
multiple futures

Europe’s tourism ecosystem is entering a decisive decade. Climate pressures, geopolitical shifts and changing traveller expectations are reshaping how destinations operate, making traditional planning approaches increasingly insufficient.

To support this transition, ETC conducted a study on Futureproofing European Tourism through Scenario Planning and Strategic Foresight. This report aims to help destinations shift from reactive crisis management to a proactive long-term strategy.

Rather than predicting a single outcome, the study explores how European tourism could evolve by 2035 analysing structural forces and critical uncertainties. The objective is clear: equip destinations with the tools to remain competitive, resilient and aligned with Europe’s climate and digital transitions.

The initiative positions ETC as a catalyst for change across Europe’s tourism ecosystem.

Learn More

Scenarios for Europe’s
tourism landscape

Fragmented and familiar

Weak EU governance and dominance of global platforms drive
mass tourism but erode authenticity. SMEs struggle to compete.

Coordinated and familiar 

Stronger EU collaboration improves resilience and risk management.
But platform dependence and mass-market habits remain.

Collaborative transformation

Inclusive governance, generational shifts, and alignment with climate
and digital agendas. This fosters regenerative, participatory tourism.

Uneven transformation

Local communities and SMEs drive innovation. But systemic
disparities persist without EU-wide cohesion.

Climate change
European governance and regulation
Rise and evolution of the global middle class
Generational shifts in travel demand
Labour and skills challenges
Fear of rapid technological and social change

Climate change
Rise and evolution of the global middle class

Level of European collaboration and governance 
Extent of generational transformation in travel behaviour

Knowledge

ETC Research supports European destinations by providing timely data, trend analysis and insights to better navigate a changing tourism landscape and understand their competitive positioning.

Through access to data platforms and specialised research tools, ETC members can anticipate market developments, exchange knowledge, and turn insights into action. This supports more resilient and sustainable tourism development across Europe.

Explore publications

The year in numbers

New
publications

Webinars,
1400 + attendees

Events,
270+ attendees

Market Intelligence Group

Chair

Tania Sultana

Malta

Vice-Chair

Ana Jemec Špik

Slovenia

Vice-Chair

Nessa Skehan

Ireland

Resilient demand sustains Europe’s tourism performance

Learn More

*ETC, European Tourism: Trends & Prospects Quarterly Report Q4/2025

European tourism demand remained strong in 2025. International arrivals rose by 3.2% and overnight stays by 3.1%* year-on-year. Tourist spending grew even faster, increasing by an estimated 9.7% and reinforcing the sector’s economic contribution.

Traditionally popular destinations such as France, Greece, Spain and Italy continued to record the highest increases in volume terms. At the same time, Northern and Central & Eastern European destinations recorded some of the strongest percentage growth. This reflects rising interest in cooler, off-the-beaten-track locations.

Europe’s recovery continued to be driven largely by travel within the region. Short- and mid-haul arrivals increased by 5% year-on-year in 2025. Long-haul travel remained slightly below pre-pandemic levels, but grew by 7% as air capacity returned and traveller confidence improved.

Despite ongoing uncertainties, Europe’s tourism sector has continued to demonstrate resilience. Strong demand, more balanced seasonal flows and rising travel spending are helping support destinations across the continent.

*ETC, European Tourism: Trends & Prospects Quarterly Report Q4/2025

International tourist arrivals by
European subregion in 2025

Source: UN Tourism, World Tourism
Barometer, 2026

International arrivals to Europe
by haul

Source: ETC, European Tourism: Trends &
Prospects Q4/2025

Quality over quantity: how Europeans travelled in 2025

Learn More

In 2025, Europeans kept travelling, often choosing to stay within the region rather than venture long-haul, drawn by affordability, familiarity and ease of access.

Value for money shaped decisions, yet travel clearly remained a priority. Even amid economic concerns, Europeans were willing to spend when comfort and quality were guaranteed, with accommodation and food topping budgets.

Several shifts in travel patterns became evident in 2025. Europeans planned slightly fewer holidays overall but opted for longer stays (7-12 nights), signalling a move toward more immersive and meaningful trips. While the Mediterranean remained the anchor of intra-European travel, interest in quieter, less crowded destinations grew, particularly during the peak spring and summer months.

Later in the year, seasonality reshaped flows once again, with Southern Europe experiencing a clear off-season boost as travellers sought warmer climates, stable weather and better value.

Main spending priorities
for the next trip

Accommodation is Europeans'
biggest expense priority during
holidays

27%

Accommodation

20%

Food and drinks

16%

Activities

13%

Transportation at
the destination

10%

Shopping

Wellness

Luxury experiences

Preferred region for the next
intra-European trip

European travellers increasingly favour
Southern Europe and Mediterranean
destinations in autumn and winter

Autumn / Winter 2024

Autumn / Winter 2025

Statistically significant difference vs previous year

Economic pressures and
geopolitical uncertainty
tempered overseas travel
in 2025

Learn More

Long-haul travel intentions declined globally in 2025, reflecting rising costs, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. This softening was also evident in Europe’s largest overseas source markets, where fewer travellers signalled plans for long-haul trips to the continent.

Travellers became increasingly price-sensitive as the year progressed, placing greater emphasis on cost when considering international travel. By summer, demand for overseas journeys eased further, indicating a more cautious and selective approach to long-haul travel. Toward year-end, however, interest in visiting Europe stabilised relative to other destinations, supported by the continent’s reputation for political stability and perceived safety.

China and Brazil recorded the strongest travel intentions to Europe in 2025. In contrast, Canada, Australia, Japan and the United States showed more restrained sentiment amid cost-of-living pressures, economic concerns and heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

At the same time, traveller preferences continued to evolve. Interest in off-peak travel and flexible booking options increased, alongside a stronger focus on value for money, safety and meaningful experiences.

Barriers to travelling to
Europe in summer 2025

High costs continue to curb
long-haul travel intent

Preferred booking strategies

Most popular ways to
book travel to Europe

43%

Full package from a tour
operator (flights,
accommodation, food,
excursions, entrance
fees, etc.)

36%

Separate bookings of
different travel aspects
(flights, accommodation,
excursions, events, etc.) from
various providers

35%

Partial package from a tour
operator (only flight tickets,
flight tickets and
accommodation only, etc.)

Top 5 destination selection criteria

What matters when
choosing a holiday destination?

45%

Safe to visit

41%

Must-see world-
renowned sites

39%

High-quality tourism
infrastructure

32%

Stable weather
conditions

24%

Preserves natural &
cultural heritage

Promotion

ETC connects European destinations with global audiences through cooperative marketing programmes developed in close collaboration with members and partners.

These initiatives reach consumers, the travel trade and media in key long-haul markets. They help strengthen Europe’s visibility and its positioning as a safe, sustainable and responsible travel destination.

Find out more

The year in numbers

Co-op campaigns
and 33 partnerships

Co-exhibitors in 2
trade exhibitions

Trade activities across
target markets

Marketing Group

Chair

Charel Van Dam

Netherlands

The Joint Promotion Platform (JPP) serves as a collaborative marketplace for promoting European destinations and pan-European tourism products in strategic long-haul markets. It brings together public authorities, destinations and private partners to co-finance and implement joint marketing initiatives. 

In 2025, ETC rolled out eight co-branded campaigns, establishing 33 partnerships with Destination Marketing Organisations. These campaigns increased the global visibility of Destination Europe, boosted traveller confidence and highlighted unique experiences, including in lesser-known destinations.

The platform combines bottom-up projects by partner consortia and flagship campaigns driven by ETC. Targeting the travel trade and consumers in North America, China, and Australia, activities included digital marketing, content development, and sales promotion. Together, these initiatives generated over €1.1 million in joint investment, co-financed by the European Union.

Through this collaborative approach, ETC reinforced Europe’s positioning as a sustainable, diverse and competitive global destination, while creating new promotional opportunities for its members.

Explore some examples of this year’s co-
branding campaigns:

Journey to Europe

For its second season, Journey to Europe explored Belgium, Malta and Greece, inviting Australians to experience each destination through authentic and responsible travel.

In Belgium, the series featured the moving heritage of Flanders Fields. In Malta, filming captured the Three Cities, Gozo’s Citadel and encounters with fishermen and artisans.

The journey concluded in Greece’s Peloponnese, where vibrant markets and the Menalon Trail highlighted meaningful connections with local communities and a slower pace to discover Europe.

The series reached more than 700,000 viewers.

Learn More

Central Europe: Taste
Local, Travel Green 

Together with CzechTourism, the Polish Tourism Organisation, the Hungarian Tourism Agency and Slovakia Travel, ETC launched Central Europe: Taste Local, Travel Green, targeting the Chinese market.

The campaign promoted gastronomy, lesser-known destinations and sustainable train travel across the four countries.

Campaign activities generated 79.7 million impressions through influencer content and a further 18.2 million impressions via OTA campaigns. Overall, it helped drive nearly 60,000 overnight stays across the partner destinations.

Learn More

Liberation Route Europe

ETC launched the campaign Connecting Histories, Inspiring Journeys: Responsible Cultural Tourism along the Liberation Route Europe, in partnership with the Liberation Route Europe Foundation, LRE Italy, LRE France and Visit Wallonia.

The initiative promoted the Liberation Route across Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Italy to both consumer and trade audiences in the United States and Canada.

Through dedicated content development and a multi-channel media strategy, the campaign generated almost 12 million impressions and over 900,000 interactions, reaching more than 6 million unique viewers. 

Learn More

Europe Untold 

Under the Europe Untold brand, the city destination organisations of Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn partnered with ETC on a digital marketing campaign targeting the US market. Original content showcased city life, nature, history, and art, positioning the four cities as safe and sustainable travel destinations.

The campaign achieved 30 million impressions and over 55,000 clicks to the interactive content.

Learn More

Europe flips the script
on responsible travel

Learn More

ETC, together with a coalition of leading destinations and travel brands and with financial support from the EU, launched the Unlock an Unexpected Upgrade campaign across the United States and Canada. Designed as a global movement, the initiative encourages travellers to explore Europe in more responsible ways.

The campaign invites visitors to rethink how they travel by highlighting off-season trips, lesser-known destinations and greener, locally rooted experiences. Through storytelling and digital platforms, it promotes travel choices that foster deeper connections while helping spread visitor flows more evenly across Europe.

In North America, the campaign ran across a dedicated microsite, social media, video platforms and targeted media placements. The microsite served as the main hub, offering inspiring content and practical travel tips focused on nature, culture and gastronomy, while directing travellers to partner destinations.

The campaign generated more than 66 million impressions and nearly 15 million video views. It also drove over 200,000 flight and hotel searches, resulting in more than 10,000 shoulder-season bookings, as well as 12,000 rail and coach searches, encouraging lower-carbon travel across Europe.

Insights from ETC’s Global Responsible Travel Index also showed progress in closing the gap between travellers’ intentions and their actual behaviour when it comes to responsible travel.

ETC leverages a wide range of digital marketing channels to showcase the diversity and appeal of European destinations, inspiring a continuously growing community of travellers worldwide.

In 2025, ETC further elevated its digital
performance, reaching several key
milestones:

VisitEurope.com relaunched with a refreshed design, enhanced structure and improved user interface. The upgrade delivers a more intuitive user experience, greater content accessibility and integrates new AI-driven functionalities.

Expanded content partnerships, publishing more than 600 content pieces in collaboration with destinations and local creators. These initiatives generated over 15 million social media impressions and 20,000 newsletter leads.

12 new editions of the Visit Europe Guides released, each highlighting diverse travel experiences across an average of 19 countries per issue.

Launch of a new Media Library providing tourism boards and travel businesses with a curated collection of high-quality imagery and video assets to support storytelling and promote Europe's natural beauty, cultural richness and diversity.

Advocacy

ETC advocates for the future prosperity of the tourism industry by promoting sustainability, accessibility, and competitiveness.

By opening communication channels between National Tourism Organisations and public institutions, ETC fosters collaboration to preserve and promote travel for future generations.

Find out more

The year in numbers

45+

Speaking slots at top
industry and policy events*

70+

Press requests

3000+

Media mentions

*Including the European Tourism Forum, PATA Annual Summit, European Forum Alpbach, Bled Strategic Forum, TOURISE Global Summit and more.

Chapter Earth

Chair

Katrin Erben

Austria

Vice-Chair

Alenka Malenšek
Breznik

Slovenia

Europe’s tourism leaders
gather at Destination
Europe Summit 2025 in
Brussels

On 6 February, ETC partnered with Euronews to host the Destination Europe Summit 2025 in Brussels, bringing together ETC members and key players from across European tourism.

The summit opened with a keynote by Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the first European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, who shared his vision for the sector and highlighted the importance of strengthening Brand Europe together with ETC. Other policymakers included Members of the European Parliament Nikolina Brnjac, Daniel Attard and Sérgio Gonçalves, as well as Magda Kopczynska, Director-General at DG MOVE.

The programme also featured insights from European destinations and industry representatives from Booking.com, Mastercard, Intrepid and more.

Discussions focused on tourism competitiveness, sustainability, and the role of tourism in supporting local communities. The summit offered valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities ahead, while continuing to support ETC’s goal of fostering collaboration and strengthening ties with EU decision-makers

230 +

On-site
participants

2.400

Lifestream
views

136.000

Views of Euronews
highlight

Photo gallery

Putting communities at
the heart of Europe’s
tourism future

Learn More

At ETC’s General Meeting in Iceland, Europe’s National Tourism Organisations adopted the Reykjavík Declaration “Tourism for Europe, Europe for Tourism.” The declaration sets a shared direction for the future of tourism in Europe, placing communities and residents at its centre.

European destinations outline a shared vision for tourism that enriches local life, regenerates destinations, and safeguards Europe’s cultural and natural heritage.

Guiding Principles

Tourism as a shared benefit

Tourism should create value for society by supporting local economies, culture and the environment.

Communities at the centre

Residents’ well-being and identity should guide tourism development.

Innovation
and digital
transformation

Technology, data and digital skills should help destinations become more resilient and sustainable.

Respect for
culture and
heritage

Europe’s cultural and natural heritage must be safeguarded and celebrated, supporting creativity and traditions.

Strengthening
nature and society

Tourism should support ecosystems and create fair livelihoods across the tourism value chain.

Tourism as a force
for peace and
understanding

Travel should encourage empathy, solidarity and cooperation.

Celebrating the most
inspiring campaigns that
connect Europe by rail

Learn More

For the fifth year of the Rail Tourism Awards, ETC and Eurail recognised outstanding campaigns that showcase rail as a sustainable and engaging way to explore Europe.

The 2025 competition attracted 23 submissions from across the continent and culminated in an awards ceremony at the Great Connection in Utrecht, Eurail’s first collaborative event dedicated to creativity, branding and storytelling in rail tourism.

This year’s winners demonstrated how rail can connect destinations, communities and travellers through powerful narratives, highlighting sustainability and creativity.

Winners

Go Sustainable by Switzerland Tourism,
Eurostar, Evolve Events and partners

This Switzerland Tourism campaign with partners reimagined business travel through a fully rail-based journey, showing how low-impact mobility can combine sustainability with collaboration and professional value.

Watch Video

Swiss Bliss by
Rail Europe

Rail Europe’s Swiss Bliss campaign offered a fresh view of Switzerland by shifting attention away from hotspots and highlighting quieter towns, scenic secondary routes and the ease of off-season travel.

Watch Video

Sowing a Sunny Tomorrow
by Slovenske železnice

Slovenske železnice transformed railway corridors in Slovenia into sunflower fields, engaging local communities while promoting biodiversity and the environmental value of rail travel.

Watch Video

Feelings on Track by Sweet
and Silverrail

Sweet x Silverrail created an emotionally driven campaign that linked rail travel with mental well-being, inviting travellers to share personal stories across a multi-country Interrail journey.

Watch Video

Inspiring future tourism
talent through storytelling

Learn More

Through different stories, ETC invites young readers to explore the world of tourism, helping them imagine what a future in the sector could look like.

In 2025, this journey continued with four new titles added to the children’s book series, developed with the University of Surrey and Graffeg Books. Written by acclaimed authors Julia Hubery and Ann Bryant, the books follow characters as they embark on new experiences and adventures in the world of tourism and hospitality.

Page by page, readers discover how skills like communication, creativity and problem-solving are used in real situations, and how they matter for the sector.

To bring these stories to more children across Europe, ETC introduced a grant for publishers in its member countries. This funding supports the translation and promotion of the books in national languages. In 2025, it enabled editions in Croatian and Bulgarian, with more languages expected to follow.

In this way, more young people are discovering tourism as a space where they can learn and build a future.

Books published
in 2025

Dee and Flee at the
Haunted Castle

by Julia Hubery and Laura Wood

Dee and Flee
Smooth Operators

by Julia Hubery and Laura Wood

Carrion Crow

by Ann Bryant and Laura Wood

Treasure Hunt

by Ann Bryant and Laura Wood

Celebrating outstanding
initiatives in sustainable
cultural tourism across
Europe

Learn More

For its eighth edition, the Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards – organised by ETC, ECTN, Europa Nostra, and NECSTouR – attracted 48 applications from 14 countries across five categories.

Focused on Visitor Experiences and Authenticity for Sustainable, Smart and Resilient Cultural Tourism Destinations, the awards highlighted innovative approaches to enhancing cultural tourism.

Supported by the Iter Vitis Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, Europeana, and the Sibiu County Tourism Association, the winners were revealed during a dedicated ceremony in Sibiu, Romania, on 2 October 2025.

Winners of transnational thematic
tourism products

1st

European Route of Historic
Gardens –A Cultural Route
of the Council of Europe

By European Route of Historic Gardens (ERHG)

This initiative connects 45 historic gardens across 10 countries, promoting their cultural, environmental and historical value. Through events, educational programmes and partnerships, it helps more people discover garden heritage while supporting sustainable tourism and cross-border cooperation.

Learn More

2nd

The People’s Portal Dublin,
connecting people and cultures
above borders

By Dublin City Council Culture Company, Ireland

This public art installation uses live digital technology to link Dublin with cities around the world, creating a space where people can interact in real time. It encourages cultural exchange, community engagement, and global connection through a simple, accessible urban experience.

Learn More

3rd

Via Dinarica: Green trail above
borders, South-West Serbia and
Central and East Bosnia and
Herzegovina

By Regional Development Agency “Zlatibor” Uzice, Serbia

This cross-border hiking initiative links Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage. By developing and improving over 520 km of trails and bringing local partners together, it supports sustainable outdoor tourism while boosting regional development.

Learn More

In 2025, ETC’s insights
continued to drive global
conversations on European
travel and tourism

Learn More

The year saw strong visibility across trade, national, and leading international media, with ETC featured in over 3,000 press articles, reflecting sustained demand for its insights and analysis.

Throughout the year, ETC’s expertise remained highly relevant, particularly on topics such as climate impacts on travel, destination management, shifting demand patterns, and the long-term resilience of European tourism.

Prominent global outlets, including the Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, Euronews, DW, and CNBC, drew on ETC’s analysis, alongside a broad range of European and sector-specific publications.

Media engagement was closely linked to ETC’s market intelligence, with key publications driving coverage. The Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel series generated the highest attention, followed by the Long-Haul Travel Barometer and European Tourism: Trends & Prospects reports.

Notably, interest peaked during the summer, in line with heightened travel reporting, while remaining consistent throughout the year. This further confirmed ETC’s position as a reliable source of insight for journalists covering European tourism.

Number of ETC media mentions

1170

2020

1238

2021

1090

2022

2576

2023

2297

2024

3026

2025

Membership

In 2025, ETC brought together 36 European national tourism organisations from 35 countries. ETC members collaborate to jointly promote Europe overseas, share best practices and drive the transition towards a more resilient and regenerative tourism ecosystem. Each year, the organisation hosts events for members to gather and define ETC’s work priorities and activities.

Find out more

ETC events timeline for 2025

ETC Annual Meeting #10

19-21 February 2025, Pilsen, Czechia

The Annual Meeting 2025, hosted by CzechTourism, brought together research, marketing and sustainability experts from European national tourism organisations, as well as partners and external experts. Discussion focused on advancing ETC’s priorities and sharing best practices from destinations. A dedicated workshop on Artificial Intelligence, organised with Group NAO, explored how AI can support creative campaigns and improve workflow.

ETC General Meeting #109

14-15 May 2025, Zadar, Croatia

Leaders from 26 national tourism organisations and 8 associate members gathered in Zadar, hosted by the Croatian National Tourist Board. Held under the theme Measuring Tourism Beyond Arrivals, the meeting explored new approaches to evaluating tourism’s environmental, social and economic impacts. A standout moment was the Industry Forum at Grpašćak, Telašćica Nature Park, set against the dramatic cliffs and turquoise waters of the Adriatic. The programme also featured high-level Croatian officials, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

TourMIS Workshop & International Seminar on the
Positive Social Impact of Tourism

11-12 September 2025, Vienna, Austria

The 20th edition, organised by ETC, the City Destinations Alliance and Modul University Vienna, brought together 93 participants from destination management organisations, academia and tourism businesses. The workshop focused on the use of TourMIS tools for market research and data analysis. It was followed by a seminar on tourism’s positive social impact, exploring how tourism can support the well-being of local communities.

ETC General Meeting #110

19-20 November 2025, Reykjavik, Iceland

The meeting, hosted by the Icelandic Tourist Board, brought together representatives from 28 NTOs and 15 associate members. Set against the striking backdrop of the Blue Lagoon, the meeting offered an inspiring environment for open exchange and collaboration. A highlight of the programme was the Industry Forum, which explored how European destinations can balance tourism development with residents’ wellbeing. ETC members also signed the Reykjavik Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to placing communities at the centre of Europe’s tourism future.

DRAG TO VIEW

Election of Lidija Bajarūnienė
as new ETC Vice-President

In May 2025, ETC members elected Lidija Bajarūnienė, representative of Lithuania at the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation, as the new Vice-President of the European Travel Commission.

With more than 20 years of experience in tourism policy, international cooperation and communication, she brings extensive expertise to the role. She previously served as CEO of the National Tourism Development Agency “Lithuania Travel” and represents Lithuania in several international tourism bodies, including the OECD Tourism Committee and UN Tourism.

ETC also extends its thanks to outgoing Vice-President Magda Antonioli from Italy for her contribution and commitment to the organisation over the past years.

“Tourism has the power to bring people together, and I look
forward to working with ETC members to further strengthen
Europe’s position as a leading global destination.”

Lidija Bajarūnienė

Five new associates
join ETC

In 2025, ETC welcomed five new associate members, further strengthening its commitment to public-private partnerships that support the continued development of European tourism. These companies bring valuable expertise and innovation, contributing to ETC's work through collaboration, marketing initiatives and knowledge sharing with members.

Alturos Destinations, a travel technology company, provides digital solutions and destination platforms that help tourism organisations deliver innovative visitor experiences and digital services.
Resonance, a global advisory and consulting firm, supports destinations with place branding, tourism strategy and economic development to strengthen their competitiveness and global identity.
Rome2Rio, a multimodal travel planning platform, helps travellers discover and compare transport options across flights, trains, buses, ferries and driving routes worldwide.
TIKI, an AI-powered travel advertising platform, helps destinations connect with travel planners through targeted digital marketing and data-driven campaigns.
Trip.com, one of the world's largest online travel service providers, offers booking services for flights, accommodation, transport and travel experiences worldwide.

A strategic partnership for sustainable
European tourism

Since 2012, ETC and the European Commission have worked together to strengthen Europe as a leading travel destination. Through annual Action Grants, the European Commission supports ETC in delivering marketing and research activities in key long-haul markets. Working with National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and SMEs across Europe, ETC turns EU tourism priorities into practical actions that support a more competitive, sustainable and resilient tourism sector.

The 2025 action grant in focus

Through the 2025 Action Grant Promoting trans-European tourism products in third countries, ETC delivered a programme combining:

Promotion

Launch of the global campaign Unlock an Unexpected Upgrade, encouraging travellers in major long-haul markets to travel off-season, explore lesser-known destinations, travel green and support local communities.

Research

Monitoring travel sentiment in long-haul and European markets, as well as the enhancement of the ETC Executive Dashboard, providing data and insights to European destinations.

Evaluation

Measuring behavioural trends and understanding how the campaign encourages more responsible travel, including analysing the evolution of travellers’ intentions and their actual behaviours.

This approach connects research, promotion and evaluation, ensuring that each year’s activities build on data-driven insights and remain aligned with EU sustainability priorities.

Funding
& Emissions

Expenses Overview

Income Overview

Average carbon footprint per 1€ of funding (kg of CO2e)

ETC
Executive Unit

* As of December 2025

Eduardo Santander

CEO/Executive Director

Administration

Iulia Niculică

Head of Administration

Sophia Westerlund

Membership and Community Manager

Elisa Catania

EU Projects and Sustainability Manager

Ana Gálvez

Office Assistant

Advocacy

Teodora Marinska

COO/Head of Public Affairs

Tatiana Veselova

Corporate Communications
and Public Affairs Manager

Francesca Calvo

Corporate Communications Trainee

Research

Jennifer Iduh

Head of Research and Insights

Lyublena Dimova

Senior Research Manager

Menno van IJssel

Research Project Manager

Cornelia Keller

Research Project Manager

Marie Guilleux

Research Trainee

Marketing

Miguel Gallego

Head of Marketing and Communication

Ludivine Destrée

Senior Marketing Project
Manager

Matteo Nardin

Marketing Project Manager

Diogo Paciência

Digital Marketing Manager (external contractor)

Julia Cisinska

Digital Marketing Trainee

Many thanks to our former colleagues
who were part of the team in 2025

Roberta Magro Malosso

Procurement Manager

Matilde Caria Secca

Public Affairs Trainee

Maria Giovanna Ceo

Digital Marketing Trainee

Rukie Doka

Administration Trainee

Annual Report 2025

ETC Members

ETC Associate Members

Message from ETC President and CEO/Executive Director

ETC Board of Directors

National Tourism Organisations step into the AI era

Actions for scaling AI in Europe’s NTOs

Build role-specific AI skills across teams

Allocate structured time for experimentation

Develop clear, function-level AI roadmaps

Scale successful pilots into sustained operations

Foster shared learning across institutions

Key AI applications delivering the most value to NTO research and marketing teams

Europe returns to New York: transatlantic travel in focus

“The EU and the US form the largest travel and tourism market in the world. Together, we can make travel smoother, more reliable and more sustainable.”

Stakeholder dialogue with EU commissioner

Hosted by:

In partnership with:

Skift Transatlantic Summit

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

Preparing European tourism for multiple futures

Scenarios for Europe’s tourism landscape

Fragmented and familiar

Coordinated and familiar

Collaborative transformation

Uneven transformation

Knowledge

The year in numbers

Market Intelligence Group

Resilient demand sustains Europe’s tourism performance

Quality over quantity: how Europeans travelled in 2025

Accommodation is Europeans' biggest expense priority during holidays

European travellers increasingly favour Southern Europe and Mediterranean destinations in autumn and winter

Economic pressures and geopolitical uncertainty tempered overseas travel in 2025

High costs continue to curb long-haul travel intent

Most popular ways to book travel to Europe

What matters when choosing a holiday destination?

Promotion

The year in numbers

Marketing Group

Explore some examples of this year’s co- branding campaigns:

Europe flips the scripton responsible travel

Through its headquarters in Brussels and its overseas chapters, ETC carries out consumer and trade marketing activities in major long-haul outbound travel markets.

China

Japan

Australia

Brazil

Canada

USA

In 2025, ETC further elevated its digital performance, reaching several key milestones:

Advocacy

The year in numbers

Chapter Earth

Europe’s tourism leaders gather at Destination Europe Summit 2025 in Brussels

230 +

2.400

136.000

Photo gallery

Putting communities at the heart of Europe’s tourism future

Guiding Principles

Tourism as a shared benefit

Communities at the centre

Innovation and digital transformation

Respect for culture and heritage

Strengthening nature and society

Tourism as a force for peace and understanding

Celebrating the most inspiring campaigns that connect Europe by rail

Winners

Inspiring future tourism talent through storytelling

Dee and Flee at the Haunted Castle

Dee and Flee Smooth Operators

Carrion Crow

Treasure Hunt

Celebrating outstanding initiatives in sustainable cultural tourism across Europe

Winners of transnational thematic tourism products

In 2025, ETC’s insights continued to drive global conversations on European travel and tourism

Membership

ETC events timeline for 2025

ETC Annual Meeting #10

Annual
Report
2025

Message from ETC
President and CEO/Executive Director

National Tourism Organisations
step into the AI era

Actions for scaling AI in Europe’s NTOs 

Build role-specific
AI skills across
teams

Allocate
structured time for
experimentation

Develop clear,
function-level AI
roadmaps

Scale successful
pilots into sustained
operations

Foster shared
learning across
institutions 

Europe returns to New York:
transatlantic travel in focus

Stakeholder dialogue
with EU commissioner

Preparing European tourism for
multiple futures

Scenarios for Europe’s
tourism landscape

Coordinated and familiar 

Accommodation is Europeans'
biggest expense priority during
holidays

European travellers increasingly favour
Southern Europe and Mediterranean
destinations in autumn and winter

Economic pressures and
geopolitical uncertainty
tempered overseas travel
in 2025

High costs continue to curb
long-haul travel intent

Most popular ways to
book travel to Europe

What matters when
choosing a holiday destination?

Explore some examples of this year’s co-
branding campaigns:

Europe flips the script
on responsible travel

Through its headquarters in Brussels and its overseas chapters,
ETC carries out consumer and trade marketing activities in
major long-haul outbound travel markets.

In 2025, ETC further elevated its digital
performance, reaching several key
milestones:

Europe’s tourism leaders
gather at Destination
Europe Summit 2025 in
Brussels

Putting communities at
the heart of Europe’s
tourism future

Innovation
and digital
transformation

Respect for
culture and
heritage

Strengthening
nature and society

Tourism as a force
for peace and
understanding

Celebrating the most
inspiring campaigns that
connect Europe by rail

Inspiring future tourism
talent through storytelling

Dee and Flee at the
Haunted Castle

Dee and Flee
Smooth Operators

Celebrating outstanding
initiatives in sustainable
cultural tourism across
Europe

Winners of transnational thematic
tourism products

In 2025, ETC’s insights
continued to drive global
conversations on European
travel and tourism

TourMIS Workshop & International Seminar on the
Positive Social Impact of Tourism

Election of Lidija Bajarūnienė
as new ETC Vice-President

Five new associates
join ETC

A strategic partnership for sustainable
European tourism

Funding
& Emissions