European Tourism

EU issues 20,000 more euro-travel passes for 18-yr-olds

18-year-olds in the EU have until 16 May to apply for 20,000 DiscoverEU travel passes, the Commission announced Thursday, for the opportunity to explore Europe between 1 August and 31 January.

States confirm update of EU's common visa policy

EU states confirmed a plan to modernise the EU's common visa policy Wednesday, adapting the rules to growing security concerns, the challenges of migration and new opportunities offered by technological developments.

Free ticket for 18-yr-olds in EU to discover Europe

Following the success of the first round of DiscoverEU, the Commission announced Wednesday it will launch a second competition for free tickets for students to travel around Europe on 29 November.

European Youth Portal - Information and opportunities for young people across Europe

The European Youth Portal offers European and national information and opportunities that are of interest to young people who are living, learning and working in Europe. It provides information around eight main themes, covers 35 countries and is available in 28 languages.

DiscoverEU - background guide

On 29 November 2018, the European Commission opened the second round of DiscoverEU, with over 12,000 free tickets for 18 year-olds in the EU to travel in Europe.

Brussels warns Airbnb over pricing policy

The EU Commission and consumer authorities called on online accommodation marketplace Airbnb Monday to align its terms and conditions with EU consumer rules and to be transparent on pricing.

Indonesian airlines removed from EU blacklist

The Commission cleared all Indonesian air carriers from the EU Air Safety list Thursday, as it introduced a warning system for air traffic controllers to prevent unsafe aircraft entering European airspace.

New EU consular protection rules come into force

From 1 May, EU citizens living or travelling outside the EU will get better benefit from consular protection in case of need, where their country of origin is not represented in the non-EU country they visit.

Consular protection for European Union citizens abroad

Under EU law, as an "unrepresented EU citizen", you're entitled to help from any other EU Member State's embassy or consulate - under the same conditions as this EU country helps its own nationals. This website aims to provide you with general information about the right of unrepresented EU citizens to consular protection in third countries under the same conditions as the nationals of that EU country. It also helps you to find out whether your national state has an embassy or consulate in a given third country or territory. If you do not have an embassy or consulate in the country or territory where you are, it provides you with the contact details of embassies and consulates of other Member States that you might wish to contact to seek assistance.

Northern European cities offer best living conditions: report

Copenhagen and Bern offer the best living standards in the world for expatriates, according to a survey of the best and worst cities for air pollution, transport, personal security and cultural barriers.

Brussels updates EU Air Safety List

The Commission updated the EU Air Safety List of non-European airlines that do not meet international safety standards Thursday, adding Venezuela's Avior Airlines to the list of banned airlines.

The Escape Industry: How Iconic and Innovative Brands Built the Travel Business

The Escape Industry, by Mark Tungate, explores the evolution of the travel industry and the lessons we can take away from some of the world's leading brands. He explores the origins of these companies, and asks what it is that has enabled them to thrive, whilst others have failed and disappeared. The book explores the beginnings of some of travel's most iconic brands, including Thomas Cook, AirBnB, The Ritz, Lastminute.com, British Airways and Ryanair. Studded with exclusive interviews and alive with incidents and anecdotes, The Escape Industry takes readers on a journey into the past, and the future, of a fascinating industry in a way that will appeal to business leaders, marketers, travel industry professionals and anyone who has an interest in travel as a consumer.

EU Tourism Policy

EU policy aims to maintain Europe's standing as a leading destination while maximising the industry's contribution to growth and employment and promoting cooperation between EU countries, particularly through the exchange of good practice. The EU's competence in the tourism is one of support and coordination to supplement the actions of member countries.

Europeans start to roam like at home

Europeans are aware of new EU mobile roaming rules and have started changing their habits when travelling abroad, a survey conducted after the first summer without the charges shows.

MEPs greenlight online films and TV while abroad

The European Parliament gave the green light Thursday to new rules enabling EU citizens with subscriptions for online films and TV series to access this content while temporarily in another EU country.

Screening of comparison websites in the travel sector

While it becomes more and more common to book hotels and flights online, consumers are encountering a growing number of problems with online travel services. These services are now among the most frequent consumer complaints according to the European Consumer Centres.

Online hotel booking under EU scrutiny

The European Commission and ten national competition authorities published a report on competition in the online hotel booking sector Thursday, highlighting the impact of antitrust enforcement measures.

Action Plan to tackle travel document fraud

The European Commission adopted on December 8 an Action Plan setting out concrete measures to improve the security of travel documents. The Action Plan provides clear recommendations for EU Member States to tackle the phenomenon of travel document fraud and outlines a comprehensive set of actions for the Commission to take. Travel document security is an important factor in the fight against terrorism and organised crime and contributes to improving border protection and migration management, paving a way towards an effective and genuine Security Union.

High standards for Europe's bathing water

Forty years after the first Bathing Water Directive was introduced, the EU's annual bathing water report show the standards of Europe's bathing water continuing to improve.

European bathing water quality in 2015

Every summer, European holiday resorts fill up with tourists eager to enjoy the warmer weather and the beautiful natural surroundings of this diverse continent. For many, the summer vacation is synonymous with swimming in the sea or in a lake, so it is natural that water quality is an important factor in choosing a destination. To help citizens make informed choices, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission publish the annual European bathing water quality report. The information contained in this edition - which covers bathing water quality in 2015 in the EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland - indicates where good quality bathing water is likely to be found in 2016.

Visa reciprocity with US, Canada & Brunei: EU mulls next move

With the U.S., Canada and Brunei continuing to apply visa requirements for citizens of some EU Member States, the European Commission has assessed the legal, political and economic consequences of a possible temporary suspension of the visa waiver with these countries.

Car rental: improved rights for EU consumers

Five major car rental companies agreed on 13 July to significantly review how they deal with consumers, thanks to a joint action from the European Commission and national enforcement authorities. Citizens will benefit from more clarity on insurance policies and tank refuelling options, more fairness when handling damages, and more price transparency. Complaints related to car rentals received by the European Consumer Centres have increased sharply in the last two years.

EU Travel Package Directive reform: political agreement

Ministers in the Competitiveness Council reached a political agreement on new rules that will bring protection for package holidays up to speed with the digital age.

European bathing water quality in 2014 - EEA Report No 1/2015

The report assesses bathing water quality in 2014, indicating where the quality of bathing water is expected to be good in 2015. The report was compiled using information from more than 21 000 bathing waters in the 28 EU Member States. The report also covers bathing waters in Albania and Switzerland. The report is a joint production of the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission.

EU consular protection rules

EU Member States have adopted - after three years of negotiations - the Directive on consular protection for European citizens living or travelling outside the EU. The agreement by the Council clarifies when and how EU citizens in distress in a country outside the EU have the right to receive assistance from other EU countries' embassies or consulates. The aim is to ease cooperation between consular authorities and strengthen European citizens' right to consular protection.