Delays Caused by Europe’s New EES Border Risk 41 Million Visitors, Warns WTTC

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), prolonged delays caused by Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has the potential to cost the Schengen Area one-third of its international visitors, representing up to 41 million arrivals and $45.4 billion in spending.

The European Union rolled out the EES at Schengen border crossings starting in October 2025, with all 29 participating countries using the system by April 2026. Under the EES, passport control officers will register the fingerprints and facial image of non-EU travellers at the border the first time they enter. This information will be stored for three years.

Already, the new system is causing delays in airports. As reported by The Guardian, the hours-long delays caused by the new EU border system may not stabilize for as long as two years.

The WWTC commissioned research on the subject, which involved surveying more than 2,500 travellers from the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Australia. The results were damning: one-third of travelers said they would be much less likely to travel to Schengen or would choose not to visit at all if border delays reached three to four hours. Breaking down the findings, about one-third (33%) of U.S. travelers would be less likely to travel to the impacted regions.

Based on 2026 inbound tourism forecasts, this amounts to about 41 million arrivals and $45.4 billion in spending.

Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC, released the following statement:

“The introduction of EES is an important step forward in modernising Europe’s borders and strengthening security. Our research clearly shows that travellers support digital and biometric border systems and understand the long-term benefits they can deliver.

As with any major transformation, there will inevitably be teething problems. The challenge now is not whether EES should proceed, but how governments, border authorities and the Travel & Tourism sector work together to ensure implementation is as smooth as possible.

The good news is that solutions already exist. By making greater use of digital pre-registration tools, improving traveller communications and ensuring operational readiness at border crossing points, Europe can reduce friction and deliver the seamless experience travellers expect.”

Strong Support for EES but Little Awareness

Despite concerns over border crossing delays, the WTTC reseach found strong support for biometric border controls. Sixty-five percent of travelers said they supported the system after learning about it, with only 6% feeling very negative about biometric data being collected. Travelers also identified stronger border security (57%), quicker processing on future trips (52%), and greater confidence in border controls (43%) as benefits of the program.

Interestingly, the vast majority of travelers (87%) said they would accept some travel disruption if it made future border crossings smoother.

A major hurdle for the EES appears to be a lack of awarenss, however. The research found that over half (55%) of travelers have little or no awareness of the system, and almost half (49%) do not know the requirements.

The analysis reccomends that travel advisors and tour operators help wiith the transition by explaining to travelers how the system works and what to expect.

The WTTC has made the following three reccomendations to support the EES rollout:

• Member States should accelerate adoption of the Travel to Europe app for digital pre-registration.
  
• A coordinated communication campaign is needed across key source markets particularly the UK, US, Australia, and Canada. Clear step by step guidance should be provided to airlines, airports, travel agents, tour operators, and destination partners so that travelers understand exactly what is required before they travel.
  
• Member States must ensure operational readiness across all border crossing points. This includes fully functioning equipment, sufficient staffing levels and measures to streamline processing wherever possible, including for travellers who have already provided biometric data through visa procedures.

The 29 countries using the EES include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic(Czechia), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland (non-EU), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein (non-EU), Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway (non-EU), Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland (non-EU).