At ITB, currently underway in Berlin, Amadeus and the European Travel Commission signed a strategic partnership to promote Europe as a tourism destination. The partnership agreement falls within the ‘Destination Europe 2020’ strategy, a joint initiative between the European Commission and ETC to strengthen the image of Europe in long-haul markets through promotional activities and the implementation of new technologies in co-operation with major industry stakeholders. Amadeus announced the provision of the VisitEurope app in November 2013.
Amadeus and ETC will work together to promote Europe aiming at strengthening the European tourism industry’s competitiveness as one of the main engines of economic growth and employment. Amadeus will contribute with its technology solutions and its knowledge of the European travel industry, while ETC will bring in the local knowledge of its 33 National Tourism Organisation members.
Amadeus and ETC will co-operate in three main areas:
- Technology: Amadeus has developed VisitEurope, a mobile app with innovative search and social media features, to market Europe as an attractive tourism destination (www.amadeus.com/blog/04/03/visiteurope-app/)
- Joint research initiatives to analyse relevant travel industry trends and market-specific insights
- Organisation of seminars and educational programmes to realise the potential of the European travel industry to attract more visitors to Europe
Both organisations will also look at extending this collaborative effort to other relevant travel industry stakeholders in order to accomplish the goals of ‘Destination Europe 2020’.
Peter De Wilde, ETC President, said: “We are glad to work together with key industry representatives who share with us our common goal of promoting Destination Europe. I am convinced that this partnership will help us to safeguard Europe’s position as top travel destination with proper knowledge gathering and sharing and skilfully bringing together private and public efforts.”
Juan Jesús García, Senior Advisor, Industry Affairs, Amadeus, added: “We fully endorse the goals established by ETC and the European Commission in the ‘Destination Europe 2020’ strategy. This partnership stands out as a reference example of private and public co-operation within the travel and tourism sector. Amadeus is pleased to contribute to this alliance with three key assets: our technology, our global footprint and our industry knowledge to shape the future of travel in Europe.”
