Working groups provide opportunity for ETOA’s members and partners to cooperate on issues to do with the business environment for tourism in Europe. They are topic or destination focused. Activities can range from in-person meetings to ad hoc consultation and information sharing. Their composition is not fixed and expressions of interest are welcome. We try to ensure access to insight from various business models and origin markets, and specialist expertise where applicable.

Current activity and priorities

With the new challenges tourism is facing, it is vital for public and private stakeholders to discuss possibilities and good practice that will lead the sector in the next years towards better management and governance, as well as product development and diversification from all markets.

Latest meeting: September 2024

ETOA and representatives of Spain & Portugal Destination Management Organisations – regional and local – met for a Working Group aiming at exploring joint interests of destinations and the travel trade, practical ways of maximizing mutual benefit and addressing adverse impact from the visitor economy, and how ETOA’s events and activities can support creative collaboration and long-term goals.

More in detail ETOA’s Spain and Portugal Destinations Working Group on 5th September 2024 covered:

  • The need to communicate better the benefits of tourism and the visitor economy more broadly
  • Possible practical solutions, from promoting a wider range of products to investigating the possibility of extending attractions opening hours and opportunities related to seasonality
  • Collaboration within the local ecosystem, as well as support for the green and digital transition to be incentivised

Member organisations represented at recent meetings