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.