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When building bridges between East and West, the European Tourism Association (ETOA) has decided that you don’t always need to board a plane to do it. On 25 November 2025, ETOA will roll out its European Travel Marketplace (ETM) Asia-Pacific, an online B2B workshop connecting buyers across the Pacific Rim, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Southern Asia and the Middle East with Europe’s tourism providers.

Forget the clinking of champagne glasses in crowded exhibition halls and the stamina-testing trudge through endless pavilions. This marketplace is brisk, precise and as efficient as a Swiss timetable. Delegates will have their business meetings pre-scheduled, cutting out the chaos and saving what the organisers claim are “substantial costs and time on travel and exhibition fees”.

The Business of Staying Put

The genius of this format is its simplicity. There are no airports, no jetlag, and no need to juggle half a dozen plug adaptors. The event is designed to fit neatly across time zones, with meetings conducted in a convenient online space that allows buyers to talk directly with European destinations, hotels, attractions, technology firms, and service providers.

It’s not ETOA’s first foray into digital matchmaking. Previous events focused on China and Southeast Asia, but this year’s Asia-Pacific edition widens the net, pulling in travel decision-makers from a far broader geography. The scope signals how vital Asia’s outbound market has become to Europe’s future tourism.

Who’s at the Table?

The event is aimed squarely at tour operators, wholesalers, intermediaries, tourist boards, suppliers, and anyone serious about getting European products in front of Asian buyers. Profiles are published online, contact details shared, and members get brand-boosting opportunities as part of their package.

For ETOA members, the entry price is just €475—a figure that in the world of long-haul trade shows wouldn’t even cover your taxi fares to the venue.

Europe on Sale

ETOA has a broad membership base, spanning everything from heavyweight global brands to small, fiercely independent operators. That means the menu of what’s on offer is as varied as Europe itself—think Parisian icons, Tuscan villas, Alpine resorts, and technology innovators bringing seamless booking solutions to the table.

“We provide a convenient and efficient opportunity to grow business leads without the need to travel,” ETOA states, and in an industry still recalibrating after years of disruption, that efficiency has become an asset in its own right.

A Sign of the Times

The marketplace underlines a growing truth: while nothing replaces the magic of shaking hands in person, the industry has learned that digital tools can deliver results with far less waste. The result is a hybrid reality where in-person and online events work together, giving buyers and suppliers options that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

And, with the next big tourism boom predicted to be driven by Asia’s outbound travellers, European providers can scarcely afford to sit idle. ETM Asia-Pacific is, quite simply, a chance to get ahead.

For full details and registration, visit ETOA’s official event page.