The European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Association (ECTAA) and the Czech Tourist Authority–CzechTourism signed a strategic-cooperation agreement on 19 January 2026, simultaneously in Brussels and Prague. The accord will culminate in ECTAA’s semi-annual general meeting, scheduled for May 2026 at the Prague Congress Centre, marking the federation’s first return to Czechia in more than a decade.
Under the memorandum, ECTAA will promote Czechia’s offer to its 70,000-plus member travel agencies and tour operators while CzechTourism will open additional B2B channels for Czech hotels, DMCs, and destination marketing organisations. Key pillars include joint market-access initiatives, sustainable-tourism know-how exchange, and themed fam-trips that showcase the country’s UNESCO spa towns, beer trails and meeting-industry venues. The partners also pledged to align their climate-action strategies—CzechTourism targets a 45 % CO₂ reduction by 2030, mirroring ECTAA’s recently adopted Climate Action Plan.
For Prague’s MICE sector the event is a welcome vote of confidence. According to the International Congress and Convention Association, the Czech capital already ranks 5th globally for association conferences, and tourism arrivals rebounded to 22.8 million in 2024. Hoteliers expect the four-day congress to inject an additional CZK 180 million (€7.3 million) into the local economy through room nights, ground transport and ancillary spending. Regional destinations stand to benefit as well: post-event study tours will route delegates to South Moravia’s wine cellars, the UNESCO-listed town of Český Krumlov and the high-speed rail hub in Ostrava.
![ECTAA and CzechTourism strike strategic partnership; spring 2026 general meeting confirmed for Prague]()
To ensure friction-free entry for participants arriving from countries that require visas, VisaHQ offers a one-stop solution. Through its Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), the service provides up-to-date requirements, digital application tools and concierge processing, helping travel coordinators secure visas quickly and avoid last-minute disruptions ahead of the congress.
Corporate-mobility managers should note that hotel blocks around the congress dates are already filling; early reservations and flexible rates are advisable. Given Prague Airport’s ongoing Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out, mobility teams are urging travellers to arrive at least three hours before departure and to ensure passports have two blank pages for emergency stamping. CzechTourism has confirmed that a dedicated ECTAA help-desk will operate at Václav Havel Airport during peak arrival periods to smooth entry formalities for non-EU delegates.
In the longer term, officials from the Ministry of Regional Development hint that the partnership could be a springboard for a permanent “Czechia Travel Week” aimed at rotating trade events through secondary cities—an initiative that would disperse visitor flows and extend stays beyond the capital.
Under the memorandum, ECTAA will promote Czechia’s offer to its 70,000-plus member travel agencies and tour operators while CzechTourism will open additional B2B channels for Czech hotels, DMCs, and destination marketing organisations. Key pillars include joint market-access initiatives, sustainable-tourism know-how exchange, and themed fam-trips that showcase the country’s UNESCO spa towns, beer trails and meeting-industry venues. The partners also pledged to align their climate-action strategies—CzechTourism targets a 45 % CO₂ reduction by 2030, mirroring ECTAA’s recently adopted Climate Action Plan.
For Prague’s MICE sector the event is a welcome vote of confidence. According to the International Congress and Convention Association, the Czech capital already ranks 5th globally for association conferences, and tourism arrivals rebounded to 22.8 million in 2024. Hoteliers expect the four-day congress to inject an additional CZK 180 million (€7.3 million) into the local economy through room nights, ground transport and ancillary spending. Regional destinations stand to benefit as well: post-event study tours will route delegates to South Moravia’s wine cellars, the UNESCO-listed town of Český Krumlov and the high-speed rail hub in Ostrava.
To ensure friction-free entry for participants arriving from countries that require visas, VisaHQ offers a one-stop solution. Through its Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), the service provides up-to-date requirements, digital application tools and concierge processing, helping travel coordinators secure visas quickly and avoid last-minute disruptions ahead of the congress.
Corporate-mobility managers should note that hotel blocks around the congress dates are already filling; early reservations and flexible rates are advisable. Given Prague Airport’s ongoing Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out, mobility teams are urging travellers to arrive at least three hours before departure and to ensure passports have two blank pages for emergency stamping. CzechTourism has confirmed that a dedicated ECTAA help-desk will operate at Václav Havel Airport during peak arrival periods to smooth entry formalities for non-EU delegates.
In the longer term, officials from the Ministry of Regional Development hint that the partnership could be a springboard for a permanent “Czechia Travel Week” aimed at rotating trade events through secondary cities—an initiative that would disperse visitor flows and extend stays beyond the capital.
