Prague's Holiday World 2026 trade fair wrapped up on March 14 at the PVA Expo centre, drawing over 600 exhibitors including national tourism boards, airlines, and relocation specialists to showcase post-pandemic business travel solutions amid evolving EU border rules.www.visahq.com The three-day event (March 12-14) highlighted the upcoming mandatory rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) on April 10 at all external Schengen borders, replacing traditional passport stamps with biometric checks like facial recognition and fingerprints to track non-EU travelers and reduce overstays.www.travelandtourworld.comwww.which.co.uk

Airlines demonstrated biometric e-gates, while travel-management firms hosted workshops on border clearance for Czech passport-holders and third-country nationals once stamps end. Prague Airport shared plans to pilot six facial-recognition kiosks next month, projecting a 35% drop in average queuing times for non-EU travelers after adaptation. Discussions also touched on related systems like ETIAS, a pre-travel authorization for visa-exempt visitors from countries including the UK, USA, and Australia, valid for three years or until passport expiry.

Industry experts predict the fair will solidify its status as Central Europe’s key hub for leisure and complex cross-border business mobility, especially as organizations navigate EES impacts and tighter consular quotas. With full EES deployment aimed at streamlining controls across 29 countries—including recent pilots at airports like Madrid-Barajas and Eurostar stations—attendees left equipped for faster, tech-driven European travel.www.thetimes.com