It is an international, non-profit organisation based in Brussels, comprising 35 national tourism promotion bodies from 34 European countries (full members).
// EU countries
Germany, Austria, Belgium (represented by two regions: Flanders and Wallonia), Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania.
Sweden is the only Member State not part of the ETC.
// Other countries
Iceland, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland and Ukraine.
// Areas of activity
- Knowledge – through the preparation of studies and analysis of trends in the tourism sector, which serve to identify new business opportunities, develop effective promotional strategies and support the sector’s advocacy work.
- Promotion/marketing – of Europe as a tourist destination in all non-European countries, with a particular focus on China, Japan, the United States, Canada, Australia and Brazil. It also serves as a regular forum for the 35 National Tourist Boards to meet and share knowledge on market intelligence, marketing and tourism promotion strategies. The VisitEurope portal is currently the most important tool for promoting and raising awareness of Europe as a tourist destination, receiving funding from the European Union/European Commission for its development and promotional activities.
- Advocacy/Sustainability – engaging with European and international institutions on behalf of the European tourism sector, as well as raising awareness among the general public of the sector’s importance. At present, the ETC places a strong emphasis on sustainability (particularly environmental sustainability) and the development of responsible tourism.
// Associate members and partners
ETC’s current
associate members are organisations and companies within the sector: Google, Expedia Group, Airbnb, Amadeus, Eurail, Rail Europe, HiSEAS, MMGY Global, Emirates, Sojern, Global Blue, The Bicester Collection, Mastercard, Miles Partnership, Queer Destinations, Hilton Group, Interface Tourism Group, Aviareps and TLSContact.
ETC partners with other leading international organisations:
- European Commission (Comissão Europeia)
- UN Tourism
- Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism (NECSTouR)
- European Tour Operators Associatioton (ETOA)
- European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN)
- Europa Nostra
- International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT)
- International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA)
- International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT)
- Airports Council International Europe (ACI)
- PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association)
// Organisation and Working Groups of the ETC
_ General Meeting (GM)
The General Meeting is the decision-making body and meets twice a year, in spring and autumn. The CEOs, or their equivalents, of each national tourism organisation (NTO) are entitled to a seat on the General Assembly and to one vote per member. The 36 Full Members, through an annual subscription, finance the ETC’s operating and running costs, to which is added funding that the ETC receives from the European Commission and subscriptions from Associate Members. Associate Members do not have the right to vote.
_ Board of Directors (BoD)
The ETC’s “strategic advisory” body. It is this body that takes the main strategic decisions, which are subsequently submitted to the General Meeting for approval. It meets four times a year, twice immediately prior to the General Meeting.
It currently comprises the President (Spain), three Vice-Presidents (currently Croatia, Italy and Switzerland), four permanent members (France, Austria, Belgium, Germany) and seven rotating members. The rotation of non-permanent members is based on geographical grouping, which alternates every two years.
_ Executive Director e Executive Unit
The Executive Director (a paid post) is responsible for the Executive Unit (comprising 15 permanent staff based in Brussels) and the day-to-day management of all the work carried out by the ETC and its operational sub-groups.
_ Overseas Chapters (OC)
GM decides which Operational Groups are established in long-haul markets (currently Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the USA and Japan), appoints their delegates (OCs), and approves their action plans and budgets. These OCs – voluntary positions held by delegates from the NTOs in these long-haul markets – carry out on-the-ground marketing activities, ranging from participation in trade fairs to other promotional activities.
_ Market Intelligence Group (MIG)
The Research Directors of the 32 NTOs are members of the Market Intelligence Group (MIG). The group meets once a year, in February, and is responsible for drawing up the Market Intelligence Activities Programme to be developed by the operational group.
_ Market Intelligence Group (MIG)
The Research Directors of the 35 national tourism promotion organisations are members of the Market Intelligence Group (MIG) and are responsible for drawing up the ETC’s activity plan in the area of knowledge.
_ Marketing Group
A forum for the active sharing of information on best practices. This working group provides guidance on how to identify, utilise and exploit marketing techniques effectively, maximising their use and effectiveness in promoting both Europe as a whole and each of its member countries.
At the same time, it promotes the development of a pan-European marketing strategy, identifying ways to systematise and disseminate content, notably through the European tourism portal
VisitEurope, which has been online since 21 March 2006.
_ Chapter EarthThis is a new working group, formed in mid-2023, dedicated to sustainability, particularly in its environmental aspect.
