Why the EU Commission Needs to Hear Our Voice: Recap of the EEA Panel at UNLOCKED Summit
In September 2025, GetYourGuide’s Unlocked Summit took place in Berlin, bringing together leaders from across the travel industry to discuss the future of tourism. Within this global forum, the EEA panel, moderated by Anelia Heese, Head of Community Building at iconomy, brought together Björn Bornmann (Director Legal for Public Policy, GetYourGuide), Joan Elio Rodriguez de la Serra (Founder, Jo&Elio), and Guy Kuttner (Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Starboard Boats Amsterdam). The EEA panel focused specifically on Europe’s Experiences sector, highlighting the importance of community building, fair digital discovery, and collective advocacy to ensure that direct suppliers can thrive alongside OTAs and global platforms.
Panelists highlighted the interconnected challenges facing the sector: the need for direct suppliers to maintain independence while collaborating with OTAs, the influence of global tech players on local markets, and the importance of a neutral discovery environment that allows operators to thrive without being commoditized. Discussions emphasized that while OTAs and service providers sometimes have competing objectives, their shared interest in sustainable growth, fair competition, and high-quality consumer experiences provides a foundation for collaboration and policy engagement.
The panel also examined the role of structured communities and associations in protecting quality, supporting regulatory engagement, and amplifying the sector’s voice in Brussels. Insights from multiple perspectives illustrated how the DMA can be leveraged to ensure that both platforms and experience providers benefit, while highlighting the importance of organized advocacy to address emerging challenges.
Overall, the panel underscored that collective action and community building are essential for ensuring the sector thrives in a fair, competitive, and sustainable digital ecosystem, and that Europe’s experiences providers have a unique and valuable perspective that must be heard at the policy level.
Key Takeaways
A unified voice matters: Direct suppliers need collective representation in Brussels to ensure regulations reflect the realities of the experience vertical.
Collaboration with OTAs requires rules: Shared goals exist, but fair competition and neutral discovery are essential to prevent platform dominance from skewing the market.
Community building strengthens the sector: Organized networks improve quality, visibility, and regulatory engagement, while promoting sustainable practices.
The DMA is a strategic tool: It helps balance platform power, safeguard diversity, and support sustainable growth for both operators and OTAs.
Advocacy drives impact: Collective action, organization, and collaboration are key to ensuring Europe’s Experiences sector thrives in a fair, competitive, and innovative digital ecosystem.
