ABTA's EES and ETIAS Webinar Connects Members with the EU Officials Leading the Rollout

ABTA brought members together with the European officials leading the rollout of the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) through a dedicated webinar. Run as a takeover of the association's monthly member video conference call, it proved to be the biggest such session ever, with more than 190 members joining and plenty of engagement during the Q&A. The turnout underlined just how important these topics have become for the trade, as the new systems will affect all UK citizens travelling to EU countries.

Photo by José Noel Marenco on Pexels

Pressing the case with the UK Government

Alongside the webinar, ABTA said it continues to raise its concerns with the UK Government about the implementation of the EES and the need to act to avoid delays and disruption to travellers, particularly those passing through the juxtaposed controls at Dover and the two international train stations. The association's chief executive, Mark Tanzer, noted these were points he had discussed directly with the Aviation Minister, and that he intended to raise them again at the Government's Aviation Council the following week.

These juxtaposed controls are a recurring theme in the trade's concerns, because at Dover, the Eurotunnel terminal and the Eurostar terminal, EES checks effectively take place before passengers leave the UK rather than on arrival in Europe. That makes the available space and processing times especially important, and it is why ABTA has been pushing for early planning and clear mitigation measures.

Helping members prepare for the changes

The webinar was one example of the work ABTA is doing to help members understand the upcoming changes so they can support their customers and meet any obligations. As a follow-up, the association said it planned to publish a Q&A document in the Member Zone answering the questions raised during the call, and to provide any further information and materials in the run-up to the implementation of the schemes.

ABTA also said it would work to help consumers understand the changes, with plans to publish a new webpage on its site specifically about EES and ETIAS the following month, which members would be able to share with customers who had queries. The association added that it would continue working with stakeholders in both the EU and the UK to represent members' interests in preparation for the changes. For a plain-English summary of how the two systems fit together, the ETIAS and EES overview sets out the sequence and timeline.