Amadeus has been selected by the European Travel Commission (ETC) to develop an innovative solution to promote Europe as a destination.

VisitEurope is a mobile app that will help most of Europe's National Tourism Organisations attract more tourists. The solution is also part of the "Destination Europe 2020" strategy, a joint initiative between the European Commission and ETC to strengthen the image of Europe in long-haul markets through promotional activities and the implementation of new technologies in cooperation with major industry stakeholders.

VisitEurope will provide the European Travel Commission with a unique digital platform to market Europe as an attractive tourism destination: the application will be available for free downloads on iPad in the US by the end of this year with Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Canada to follow, along with the launch of a global web version. This app incorporates Amadeus' innovative online search technology that will make travel inspiration and planning processes more appealing to travellers using their mobile devices. Furthermore, this solution will also enable travellers to share their travel information through relevant social media channels.

"We are delighted to join forces with a true technology leader to develop this initiative. This represents a key milestone in our collaboration with the European Commission and European travel technology companies such as Amadeus to attract more international travellers to visit Europe", says Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission.

"Digital technologies are revolutionising the way Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) market and promote their products and services. We at Amadeus are convinced that the innovative technology of this platform will help DMOs be more competitive and visible, leveraging new channels such as mobile. Our unique search technology will further increase the efficiency of the European Travel Commission in attracting potential travellers to Europe, whilst content sharing is becoming more and more inspirational ", says Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, Amadeus SVP, New Businesses.

"We fully support the European Travel Commission's initiatives to stimulate the competitiveness of the travel and tourism sector. Amadeus is wholly committed to innovation - it's part of our DNA and has been for more than 25 years. To this end, with our expertise in delivering innovative technology for travel companies around the world, coupled with our strong investment in R&D, we are ready to support the industry to meet the new challenges of the digital era", says Svend Leirvaag, Vice President, Industry Affairs, Amadeus.