The European Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEIA) has submitted formal responses to the European Commission's targeted and open public consultations on the upcoming EU Tourism Strategy, and published a Position Paper. The contribution sets out the sector's key priorities ahead of what is expected to be a landmark policy framework for European tourism.
Europe hosts the majority of the world's leading trade fairs and congresses, making it the global hub for exhibitions and business events. Yet despite its scale, the sector remains largely invisible in official statistics and EU policymaking. EEIA's submission calls on the Commission to change that — and to formally recognise exhibitions and business events as a strategic pillar of European tourism and competitiveness.
The Position Paper identifies six priority areas for action. On data and statistics, EEIA asks the EU to co-develop reliable data collection models anchored in Eurostat and to refine the NACE classification system to properly capture exhibition activity. On resilience and crisis preparedness, the Alliance calls for the sector to be integrated into EU crisis management frameworks so that business travel and events can remain operational even in times of disruption.
Regarding sustainability and mobility, EEIA urges the Commission to align and simplify sustainability reporting obligations — particularly for SMEs — and to accelerate the development of multimodal travel solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of event attendance. On visa and A1 procedures, the paper highlights regulatory friction as a growing competitiveness risk, calling for a fast-track visa process for exhibition participants and a 14-day exemption from A1 cross-border social security form requirements for short-term business travel.
On single market and trade policy, EEIA advocates for open and fair global trading conditions, faster conclusion of pending trade agreements, and the launch of a dedicated Business Events Destination Europe campaign to attract international participants. Finally, on R&D, innovation and competitiveness, the Alliance calls for support for digital transformation and AI integration in the sector, as well as systematic inclusion of trade fair participation in EU start-up and SME internationalisation programmes.