Google has joined the European Travel Commission (ETC) as an Associate Member to help drive the European tourism sector’s recovery in 2021 and strengthen the sector as an engine for economic growth, employment, and regional development for all Europeans.
ETC has been working for years to boost sustainable tourism development in Europe, raising awareness of European lesser-known destinations and highlighting the benefits of local experiences and off-season travel. As part of their mission to be a trusted source of information, Google helps the tourism sector through insights and tools for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to reach potential visitors during their travel planning journey.
The Google-ETC collaboration will help build the digital capabilities of tourism organizations in Europe through tailored training events for ETC’s members, equipping them for digital transformation and market agility. It will also guide policy and decision-making in the tourism sector through joint research and thought leadership initiatives. As part of their work to support the travel and tourism sector, Google launched the UNWTO and Google Tourism Acceleration Programme to foster digital transformation and skills towards the recovery of the sector in Europe. Working together, ETC and Google will exchange insights to promote sustainable travel, drive tourism growth, and provide an economic boost to Europe through joint-marketing services, webinars and events, and research projects.
Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission said: “We at ETC are thrilled to welcome Google as an Associate Member of our organization at a time when our role in promoting European tourism is more important than ever. A significant announcement for the European tourism sector, Google’s membership will allow us to work together towards a brighter, stronger future for travel in Europe, for the benefit of all Europeans. The promotion of sustainable growth in the European tourism sector is at the core of the ETC’s strategy and we believe that Google’s membership will allow both organizations to work better on this common objective.”
“We are proud to join the European Travel Commission, we look forward to working together to contribute to the travel sector recovery in Europe. The travel landscape changes quickly, and we are committed to continuing to provide digital skills training, data insights, and tools to help travel and tourism organizations adapt their offerings to meet new travel demands,” said Diego Ciulli, Google’s Government Affairs & Public Policy Senior Manager.
