The European Travel Commission has launched an advertising campaign to attract American and Canadian tourists to the European Union over the next three months.
The “Europe Invites the Curious” campaign, developed by the ETC in partnership with the EU and member National Tourism Organizations, urges North American travelers to rediscover the cities, culture, history and outdoor adventures of Europe.
The multi-channel initiative will be promoted until the fall and is intended to lure travel-starved U.S. and Canadian tourists overseas.
“After a challenging 16 months, Europe is reopening and welcoming U.S. travelers back to experience the region’s rich and diverse array of unique and authentic travel experience,” said Alison Metcalfe, chair of the ETC’s U.S. Chapter. “We know there is significant pent-up demand for international travel, and Europe tops the list for many U.S. travelers.”
On June 18, the EU added the U.S. to its green list, which is its lowest travel risk category. In response, most EU countries have eased travel restrictions for American tourists.
Due to the pandemic, American tourism to the EU dropped by over 81% in 2020 compared to 2019. However, the ETC predicts that travel from the U.S. to Europe will increase by an average of 41.4% per year through 2025.
Canadian travel to Europe is also expected to increase.
On July 1, the EU added Canada to its green list and recommended that all EU nations begin lifting travel restrictions for Canadian tourists. In addition, Air Canada recently resumed many of its flights to European destinations.
“The pandemic has not stopped the love of Canadians for Europe,” said Pascal Prinz, chair of the ETC’s Canada Chapter. “If anything, Canadians have missed Europe even more since the border closure 16 months ago. We can’t wait to welcome our Canadian friends back.”
While most European countries are opening up, some are increasing restrictions in response to the more contagious delta variant. Slovakia and Lithuania have introduced new testing and quarantine requirements for certain travelers, and Portugal has implemented new curfews on restaurants and nightclubs.
Meanwhile, Spain has started mandating proof of full vaccination and negative PCR tests from all British travelers.