As the travel sector enters 2026, major policy and regulatory changes are anticipated to have a significant impact on travel businesses, tour operators and hotel providers.
Industry stakeholders are closely monitoring developments affecting travel policy and regulation, including revisions to consumer protections, border entry requirements and compliance expectations.
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The UK’s travel and tourism landscape is adjusting to a wave of reforms designed to update outdated rules and address emerging operational challenges.
Evolving package travel rules and price transparency
Reforms to the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs) remain a core focus for UK policymakers and industry bodies.
Over the past year, consultations have taken place aimed at modernising how package travel products are defined and regulated, with an objective to maintain strong consumer protections while supporting business growth.
Government responses to these consultations have emphasised the intention to retain key safeguards while clarifying obligations for travel sellers.
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By GlobalDataAlongside PTR reform, competition authorities have introduced new guidance on pricing transparency, which affects how travel companies—including hotels and accommodation providers—display prices to consumers.
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) expects all compulsory costs, such as local taxes and resort fees, to be included in headline prices to prevent hidden charges at the point of booking.
Industry groups have raised concerns over the practical challenges of compliance across varied local tax regimes.
These changes aim to ensure clarity for customers and fairness across the travel sector, yet they also require businesses to review pricing systems and customer communications ahead of peak booking periods.
Border controls and digital entry authorisation
Another significant element of travel policy in 2026 centres on border entry requirements. From 25 February 2026, visitors from non-visa countries travelling to the UK must hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before departure.
This digital pre-clearance system replaces previous informal arrangements and is intended to streamline entry checks while strengthening immigration control.
The ETA requirement applies to travellers from a wide range of countries and represents a shift toward greater digitalisation of border processes. For travel businesses, including those arranging hotel stays and multi-destination itineraries, compliance with ETA rules will become essential to avoid disruptions for customers.
These border control updates also intersect with EU travel reforms, such as the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the upcoming European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which are due to become fully operational later in 2026.
Industry engagement and policy advocacy
Industry associations have been active in representing travel businesses as regulatory change accelerates.
Over the past year, trade bodies have responded to countless government consultations and engaged with parliamentarians to ensure that the practical realities of running tourism and travel firms are understood by policymakers.
ABTA, the UK travel association, has highlighted the importance of preserving consumer confidence while enabling businesses to adapt to new regulatory frameworks. Its public affairs work has covered issues ranging from aviation accessibility to the evolving UK-EU relationship in the travel context.
For hotel operators and other accommodation providers, staying informed about travel policy changes and regulatory developments in 2026 will be crucial.
Many reforms intersect with cross-border travel demand, pricing transparency obligations and booking conditions, all of which influence how travel products are marketed and delivered to global customers.
As the year progresses, businesses will need to monitor these policy shifts closely to maintain compliance, protect customer trust and plan strategically for regulatory impacts across markets.
