ABTA is inviting its members to attend a conference call to hear how the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will work after research revealed nearly half of consumers are still unaware of the new rules.
Research company The Nursery sampled over 2,000 nationally representative UK adults between 21 July and 1 August and found that only 51% were aware of the changes, but this was seven percentage points higher than last year.
Awareness of EES rises to 61% among those who have taken a foreign holiday in the last 12 months.
UK Government officials will join ABTA’s conference call, taking place between 11am and 12pm on 9 September, to share the latest information ahead of the EES launch on 12 October.
The new system is being introduced in phases over a six-month period, up to 10 April 2026.
ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer said the trade association is supportive of a phased introduction, but noted that the new system presents a ‘communication challenge for the industry’.
“It’s hard to prepare passengers for a system that they may or may not experience particularly as, due to security reasons, we’re unlikely to know which borders go live from day one,” he said.
“We’re helping our members prepare their customers by providing them with information they can use to explain the phased introduction.
“We’re also working closely with the UK Government, and are liaising with the EU, to make sure our members have all of the information they need to be able to prepare for the changes and support their customers.”
