The study, released in Madrid, is based on a survey of more than 2,500 travellers from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia. It examined the potential impact of Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) if travellers encounter regular border waits of three to four hours when entering the Schengen Area.
The findings show that around one-third of travellers would become much less likely to visit Schengen destinations or would decide not to travel there at all if lengthy border queues become a regular part of the travel experience.
Based on visitor forecasts for 2026, WTTC estimates that up to 41 million
arrivals and $45.4 billion in visitor spending could be affected if significant
delays persist following the implementation of EES.
The research highlights a key operational challenge as European
destinations prepare for the rollout of the new border management system. While
travellers generally support stronger and more modern border controls, their
willingness to visit Europe decreases significantly when faced with the
prospect of long and unpredictable waiting times.
Among survey participants, 39% of travellers from the United Kingdom said
they would be much less likely to travel under a scenario involving delays of
three hours or more. The figure was 33% among respondents from both the United
States and Canada, while 27% of Australian travellers expressed the same view.
Gloria Guevara, President and
CEO of WTTC, said: “The introduction of EES is an
important step forward in modernising Europe’s borders and strengthening
security. Our research clearly shows that travellers support digital and
biometric border systems and understand the long-term benefits they can deliver.
As with any major transformation, there will inevitably be teething
problems. The challenge now is not whether EES should proceed, but how
governments, border authorities and the Travel & Tourism sector work together to ensure implementation is as
smooth as possible.
The good news is that solutions already exist. By making greater use of
digital pre-registration tools, improving traveller communications and ensuring
operational readiness at border crossing points, Europe can reduce friction and
deliver the seamless experience travellers expect.”
Despite concerns about potential delays, the research found strong support
for the EES programme. After learning about the system, 65% of respondents said
they supported its introduction, while only 6% expressed very negative views
regarding the use of biometric border controls.
Travellers identified stronger border security (57%), faster processing on
future trips (52%) and greater confidence in border controls (43%) as the main
benefits of the system.
However, awareness of EES remains limited. More than half of respondents
(55%) said they had heard little or nothing about the programme, while 49%
indicated they do not know what will be required of them when entering or
leaving the Schengen Area.
WTTC is calling for three priority actions to support a smooth rollout. The
organisation recommends that member states accelerate adoption of the Travel to
Europe app for digital pre-registration. It also calls for a coordinated
communication campaign across key source markets, including the United Kingdom,
United States, Canada and Australia, with clear guidance provided through airlines,
airports, travel agents, tour operators and destination partners.
The organisation further recommends ensuring operational readiness at all
border crossing points through fully functioning equipment, adequate staffing
levels and measures to streamline processing, including for travellers who have
already submitted biometric data during visa procedures.
The research found that 87% of respondents are willing to accept some disruption if future travel becomes smoother. Most travellers indicated they would prefer improvements to the implementation process rather than abandonment of the EES programme altogether.
Key survey findings showed that 65% support EES after learning about it,
55% have little or no awareness of the system, 49% do not know what will be
required of them when travelling, only 6% are very negative towards biometric
border controls, 87% are willing to accept some disruption if future travel
becomes smoother, and 33% would avoid travelling to the Schengen Area if border
queues regularly exceed three hours.
Tags: Gloria Guevara, WTTC
