The EEA has joined #FinishTheJob, a coalition of European founders, companies and investors calling on Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to enforce the Digital Markets Act as written. Here's why a stalled search-fairness case matters to every tour guide, museum and small operator whose business depends on being found - and how to add your organisation to the open letter before it's delivered on 23 July.

The first piece in the Marketing Math series, on the hidden economics of the sector's marketing spend, and the costs no one in the experience economy signed up to pay: fake pages, fake bidders, fake clicks.

80% of travellers visit just 10% of destinations. The European Parliament just named our sector as the solution. Here is what the resolution says, what it doesn't, and why the next 12 months matter for every experience business operating in Europe.

Europe's landmark regulation is nearly two years old. Here's why every tour operator, activity provider, museum, cultural sites, and local experience business in Europe should know what it is, and how it affects their businesses.

On 25 February, the European Experience Alliance (EEA) held an institutional engagement in Brussels to bring the perspectives of Europe’s cultural and tourism institutions directly to EU policymakers - an important step in strengthening our advocacy and policy outreach.

Este informe analiza cómo las “páginas pseudo” fraudulentas explotan los sistemas de búsqueda y reserva en línea para engañar a los visitantes, dañar la reputación de las instituciones culturales y erosionar la confianza del consumidor. A través de estudios de caso detallados, mostramos cómo atracciones en toda Europa enfrentan a diario desafíos relacionados con la venta engañosa de entradas, reservas no válidas y visitantes frustrados, todo ello mientras las plataformas no actúan de manera eficaz.

At the Unlocked Summit 2025, the EEA panel explored why Europe’s Experiences sector needs a unified voice in Brussels. Industry leaders discussed how OTAs and operators can collaborate while ensuring fair competition, the role of community building in improving visibility and quality, and how the DMA provides a framework for sustainable growth. Collective advocacy, strategic organization, and fair digital discovery are essential to help Europe’s experiences providers thrive in a competitive, innovative market.

This paper explores how fraudulent “pseudo pages” exploit online search and booking systems to mislead visitors, damage cultural institutions’ reputations, and erode consumer trust. Through detailed case studies, we illustrate how attractions across Europe face daily challenges with misleading ticket sales, invalid bookings, and frustrated visitors—all while platforms fail to act effectively.

Direct suppliers provided feedback to the European Commission on Google’s proposed changes to the travel ad carousel, advocating for more transparency and visibility.

These sites are not only damaging public trust in well-loved landmarks, they are also undermining the accessibility and affordability of Europe’s cultural heritage.

In October 2024, representatives from the Initiative for Neutral Search held a constructive workshop with the European Commission to raise critical concerns about Alphabet’s (Google’s) role in the evolving digital landscape for tour operators.