The European Travel Commission is launching Eastern Europe Connect, an online B2B matchmaking event that gives tourism SMEs from Eastern Europe the opportunity to establish new business contacts with travel operators and agents from the United States.
This initiative is open to companies from Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, and is designed to help them access the US market and strengthen their international partnerships.
Date: 9 December 2025
Time: 13:30 – 20:00 CET
Format: Preassigned online meetings, with insight and presentations sessions
Cost: Free of charge (co-funded by the European Union)
Capacity: Limited to 50 qualified tourism suppliers
Benefits for Participants
By joining Eastern Europe Connect, SMEs will have the chance to:
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Meet directly with US-based travel buyers in targeted B2B matchmaking sessions
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Gain first-hand insights on market trends, including:
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US outbound travel to Europe
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The current state of European tourism
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The EU Tourism Transition Pathway
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The upcoming ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System)
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Learn from destination presentations by Eastern European national tourism boards
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Strengthen visibility and showcase products and services to an international audience
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Build long-term partnerships in one of Europe’s most important long-haul markets
How to Apply
Applications are open until 14 November 2025 via the event platform.
Applications will be evaluated to ensure a good fit with the project’s objectives and to secure a balanced representation of SMEs from all participating countries.
Organisers
Eastern Europe Connect is organised with the technical support of ETOA-Celestina.
This programme is presented by ETC in the framework of an ad-hoc grant of the European Commission (EC).
