05 Sep
2024

ABTA to hold member conference call with DfT and FCDO on the EU Entry/Exit System

With the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) expected to launch in November 2024, ABTA is hosting a video conference call for members to help them prepare for this change to how people travel to Europe.

The EU Entry/Exit System is a new electronic border process that will register all entries and exits to and from the 29 participating European countries. It will apply to people who have third-country status – so those who are not EU or Schengen nationals, meaning it will apply to most people travelling from the UK.

The video conference call will take place on Tuesday 24th September, 11am-12pm. Hosted by Director of Public Affairs, Luke Petherbridge, ABTA will be joined by representatives from the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Members can register the for call via the ABTA Member Zone, and will also have the opportunity to submit questions in advance.

The conference call will include:
•    An overview of EES and what it means for travel to Europe.
•    Update on preparedness at the UK juxtaposed borders and EU borders.
•    Communications activity.

The call is part of ABTA’s activity to support members on EES, which includes a dedicated consumer webpage covering the essential information – www.abta.com/eesandetias - and a section in the ABTA MemberZone which gives a summary of the schemes and a Q&A about implementation.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive at ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“We’re pleased to host this conference call for members to help them understand how EES will work and what it will mean for their business and their customers.

“This is a big change to how people travel to Europe, and it has been in the pipeline for quite some time. We have been doing a lot of work over the last 12 months with the EU and UK officials working on these schemes, to establish how they will work and raise questions on behalf of industry.

“As we get closer to launch, ABTA we will be ramping up our communications to members and consumers, so everyone knows what to expect when the system goes live in November.”

Notes to editors
ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 4,600 travel brands in membership who have a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.

Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. When you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard. This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind.

All this together means we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com