European Travel Commission Launches Campaign to Entice US Tourists

The European Travel Commission (ETC) announced the launch of a new consumer campaign to encourage transatlantic travel as Europe welcomes vaccinated travelers from the United States.

The digital “Europe Invites the Curious” campaign is co-funded by the European Union and was designed to invite Americans to rediscover the myriad of cultural hubs through programmatic display, online video and social media promotion over the next three months.

The ETC has been planning the campaign over the past several months as part of an effort to build on the pent-up demand for European travel. The EU officially added the U.S. to its green list in June and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced fully vaccinated citizens can now travel internationally again.

“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 experiences,” ETC US Chapter Chair Alison Metcalfe said. “We know there is significant pent-up demand for international travel and Europe tops the list for many U.S. travelers.”

According to research from the ETC, travel to Europe from America is forecast to grow by 41.4 percent annually on average from 2020-2025, giving hope to many transatlantic destinations following a drop of nearly 82 percent in U.S. arrivals in 2020 (6.55 million) as compared to 2019 (36.47 million).

On Tuesday, the ETC also announced the launch of a major campaign with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations to inspire Canadians to rediscover Europe this summer and fall.