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Central Europe is sharpening its sales pitch to the global travel trade, with Prague set to host a new B2B marketplace bringing four neighbouring tourism economies to the same table.

ETOA, New Deal Europe and the Discover Central Europe alliance have launched Central Europe Marketplace 2027, a new pan-regional workshop connecting international buyers with tourism suppliers from Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

The inaugural event will take place in Prague on 2 March 2027. For buyers, the proposition is refreshingly simple: meet relevant suppliers from four countries in one place, build itineraries faster and leave with rather more than a suitcase full of brochures.

Four countries, one commercial shopfront

Central Europe Marketplace is a dedicated business platform for a region that increasingly lends itself to multi-country touring.

That matters. Today’s traveller may fly into Prague, continue by rail to Poland, cross into Slovakia and finish in Budapest. For tour operators and wholesalers, selling the region as a connected journey can make commercial sense while giving travellers considerably more variety.

The new marketplace aims to make that process easier.

ETOA and New Deal Europe are developing the event in partnership with Discover Central Europe. The programme centres on pre-scheduled B2B appointments, supported by networking events and familiarisation trips.

ETOA’s current programme lists 12-minute appointments throughout 2 March. A welcome reception is scheduled for 1 March, while familiarisation trips are planned for 3 and 4 March. The Clarion Congress Hotel Prague is listed as the event venue. Organisers say they expect more than 150 travel-trade professionals, including more than 60 buyers and more than 80 suppliers and destination representatives.

It should be big enough to provide choice, but compact enough to avoid the classic trade-show marathon: three exhibition halls, five kilometres of carpet and a coffee that went cold an hour ago.

Relationships remain the real currency

For all the technology now reshaping travel distribution, tourism still runs heavily on relationships. That is the point ETOA CEO Tom Jenkins makes in explaining the thinking behind the marketplace.

“Tourism flourishes when businesses can build trusted relationships. Central Europe offers an extraordinary combination of heritage, culture and contemporary experiences, and demand for the region continues to grow.”

Jenkins said ETOA’s role was to make it easier for buyers and suppliers to meet, understand each other’s needs and create products travellers will value.

“Central Europe Marketplace is designed to do exactly that, and we’re delighted to be launching it with New Deal Europe and our destination partners to make it a success.”

Tine Murn, CEO at New Deal Europe, sees the event as a chance to apply the organisation’s regional experience to a wider Central European brief.

“New Deal Europe has long been the voice of South East Europe in global tourism, particularly across the English-speaking markets. We are excited to bring our knowledge and expertise to the Central European countries as well.”

Murn said the marketplace could help shift more attention towards Central and Eastern Europe and develop into an important regional platform.

A region made for touring

The commercial logic is not difficult to see.

Czechia brings Prague, spa towns, castles, beer culture and a strong heritage offer. Hungary combines Budapest with wine regions, thermal bathing and growing regional tourism experiences. Poland has a deep bench of city, heritage, food and nature products. Slovakia adds mountain touring, historic towns, castles and the High Tatras.

Put them together, and the itinerary possibilities multiply.

There are obvious opportunities for escorted touring, FIT programmes, rail travel, river-cruise extensions, cultural routes, food and wine itineraries, city breaks and year-round products.

The region can also appeal to repeat European visitors looking beyond the familiar western capitals.

That broader regional approach is central to the destination partners’ support.

Tereza Hofmanová, Director of the Czech Tourism Authority (CzechTourism), said hosting the first marketplace in Prague underlined Czechia’s role as a natural hub in Central Europe. She said the event could create new business for destinations, hotels and tourism partners throughout the region.

Visit Hungary CEO Botond Boros said Central Europe offers even more when viewed beyond individual borders. He described the cooperation as an opportunity to connect international buyers with a broader mix of regional businesses and experiences.

Magdalena Krucz, CEO of the Polish Tourism Organisation, highlighted the value of meeting group tour organisers. She said cooperation between the four countries could help the region reach a much larger international audience.

SLOVAKIA TRAVEL CEO Matej Fekete was equally clear about the value of cooperation.

“By presenting our countries together, we can appeal to long-haul markets with a more attractive and comprehensive offer that will benefit all partners across the region.”

The national tourism organisations’ support gives the marketplace more than simple trade-show credentials. It gives buyers a coordinated route into four markets that are close geographically but still offer markedly different tourism products.

Buyers get a targeted route into products

The marketplace is aimed at buyers who contract, purchase or develop Central Europe programmes.

That includes tour operators, wholesalers, online travel agencies, travel agents and other businesses bringing visitors into the region.

Suppliers can include hotels, DMCs, attractions, destination organisations, restaurants, hospitality operators, retail experiences and other tourism businesses from the four participating countries.

ETOA currently lists primary buyer registration as free. Supplier pricing varies according to membership and ticket category, with an early-bird supplier rate available until 13 November 2026.

Selected international buyers may also qualify for the hosted-buyer programme, which includes hosted accommodation in Prague plus access to networking and optional familiarisation opportunities, subject to the applicable terms and conditions.

For suppliers, this offers a more targeted proposition than simply buying exhibition space and hoping the right decision-maker eventually wanders past.

Hotels, DMCs, attractions and tourism operators should instead be meeting buyers specifically interested in building or expanding Central European programmes.

And that is where the business case becomes considerably more interesting.

More than another date in the diary

For the travel trade, the interesting part is not simply that another workshop has appeared on Europe’s already crowded calendar.

It is the regional structure behind it.

A buyer may arrive searching for a Prague hotel and leave with a Czechia-Hungary-Poland-Slovakia itinerary. A local supplier may arrive seeking one new account and leave with several international relationships.

That is how marketplaces justify their existence: not with lanyards, logos or impressive coffee machines, but with contracts, new product and future bookings.

Central Europe Marketplace 2027 now has the opportunity to give four neighbouring destinations a stronger shared commercial voice.

If buyers respond, Prague on 2 March could become considerably less about talking tourism and much more about booking it.

Registration is now open to international buyers, Central European suppliers, tourism consultancies and service providers.

Official information and registration: Central Europe Marketplace 2027 – ETOA

Official registration and pricing: CEM 2027 Pricing & Registration