Abta will host a conference call later this month to help members get their heads around the EU’s new biometric border rules, which will go live in November after years of delays.
The call, which will take place from 11am on Tuesday 24 September, will be hosted by Abta’s director of public affairs Luke Petherbridge, who will be joined by representatives from the Department for Transport and the Foreign Office.
It will aim to give members an overview of the EU Entry-Exit System (EES) and what it will mean for travellers to Europe when it takes effect on 10 November, and also shed light on how well prepared the UK government and the EU are for the rollout.
"This is a big change to how people travel to Europe, and it has been in the pipeline for quite some time,” said Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer. “As we get closer to launch, we will be ramping up our communications to members and consumers, so everyone knows what to expect when the system goes live in November."
Tanzer previously told TTG Abta has been engaging with both the UK government and the European Union to minimise the impact of EES, but nonetheless warned there would likely be some "initial pain".
He has also welcomed the EU’s commitment to a six-month “soft launch”, which immigration minister Seema Malhotra hinted at in the House of Commons earlier this year.
Malhotra, though, said the transitional period may last more than six months and could very well go into the 2025 summer season.
Find contacts for 260+ travel suppliers. Type name, company or destination.