ABTA believes there is still a significant lack of awareness about new entry and exit procedures for European destinations due to come into force next month.
At its Convention in Greece this week, the association said a recent conference call among member agents wanting to get more information on the new Entry-Exit System (EES) had attracted around 300 members – more than three times the usual number.
It said members were worried about the lack of consumer awareness about the new scheme and how they can help their clients familiarise themselves with the changes.
Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs at ABTA, said: “While we believe awareness is increasing, there is still a fair way to go before the majority of travellers fully understand how the new EU Entry/Exit System will change their passport control experience when travelling to Europe.
“That’s perhaps unsurprising given that we’re still waiting for official confirmation of when the scheme will go live. It’s difficult to talk to a customer about a new system without knowing if it will actually be in place for their holiday.
“So, we are urging the EU to provide clarity on when EES will go live, and to make sure the changes are clearly communicated to consumers.”
EES will require travellers to register their passport, facial image, fingerprints and answer a number of questions when arriving at their destination.
Facial image and fingerprint data will be taken every three years and are valid for multiple trips within that period.
While EES checks for air passengers will be completed at the arrival airport, in the cases of Eurostar, Eurotunnel and ferry ports, the checks will take place when passing through French border control in the UK.
The system will apply when entering all EU member states, apart from Cyprus and Ireland, as well as four non-EU countries in the Schengen Area, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Eurostar is investing €10 million to expand its London base at St Pancras station to install kiosks and staff to process EES data.
The system is due to be launched on November 10 but there have been reports that the date could be delayed as some EU member states won’t be ready in time.
There are concerns about delays as travellers are processed, although in the first six months border officials will have some flexibility to manage the flow of people.
According to a Department for Transport survey of 1,584 Brits over the age of 16, 15% said the EES would make them reconsider their travel plans to the EU.
Another 20% said they would postpone or cancel their ferry trip to the EU if the system causes delays of more than an hour.
Next year, another scheme, ETIAS, will be introduced which requires visitors from 60 visa-free countries, including the UK, to obtain a new electronic travel authorisation to enter 30 European countries.
Visitors aged 18 to 70 will need to pay €7 for the ETIAS, which will be valid for three years.
The UK will introduce its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to all visitors (currently not requiring a visa) from April 2025.
