Latest news
28/05/2026 ECTAA Elects New President and Executive Board for 2026–2028
At its 132nd semi-annual meeting held in Prague and hosted by the Czech travel association ACCKA and Czech Tourism, the European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Association elected Heli Mäki-Fränti as President of ECTAA for the 2026–2028 mandate.
As the newly elected President, Heli Mäki-Fränti brings extensive experience and long-standing involvement in the travel and tourism sector at both national and European level. CEO of the Association of Finnish Travel Agents (SMAL), she has led the Finnish association since 2007 and has served as Vice-President of ECTAA since 2022. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in travel policy, sustainable tourism and EU advocacy, contributing to the representation of the sector in key legislative discussions at European level.
13/05/2026 ECTAA backs EU passenger package, but flags competition risks
ECTAA welcomes today’s adoption by the European Commission of the new passenger package, including proposals on Rail Ticketing, Multimodal Digital Mobility Services (MDMS) and revised Rail Passenger Rights. The package reflects the Commission’s ambition to promote more sustainable rail and multimodal travel across Europe while improving the passenger experience.
While these objectives are both commendable and long overdue, ECTAA questions whether the proposed measures will ultimately deliver a truly competitive, open and consumer-friendly multimodal market — particularly in relation to the proposed Rail Ticketing Regulation.
30/03/2026 The revised Package Travel Directive receives final approval from the Council
ECTAA welcomes today’s formal adoption of the revised Package Travel Directive by the European Council. This marks the conclusion of an important legislative process and delivers a clearer, more workable framework for organised travel in Europe.
The new text introduces a number of useful clarifications and improvements while maintaining a high level of protection for travellers. ECTAA particularly welcomes the simplified definition of package travel and the removal of linked travel arrangements, a concept that had added complexity without delivering clear benefits to either travellers or businesses. ECTAA also notes with satisfaction that some of the most problematic proposals discussed during the review, such as limits on advance payments and the overly broad “3-hour package” concept, were not retained in the final text.
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