DRLondon: Research released on day 1 of World Travel Market London at ExCeL – London revealed that a massive 20 million people could turn their back on Europe as a holiday destination next summer unless a Brexit deal can be agreed. WTM opened on Monday, November 5 and will conclude on November 7.
Paul Nelson of WTM said, “Over the past few months, there have been a great deal of headlines in the British press about what may or may not happen for holidaymakers after the UK leaves the EU at the end of March 2019. There seems to be a great deal of confusion and speculation about travel to Europe – and this is compounded by fears of what would happen in a ‘no-deal’ scenario.
“While the trade is drawing up contingency plans to cope with any eventuality, British consumers seem to be increasingly apprehensive about flights, visas and currency costs in traditional destinations such as Spain, France and Italy.
“Conversely, this could mean there’s a silver lining for non-Schengen countries because British tourists know for certain what the travel requirements will be and can book in advance with more confidence than they can with most of Europe.”
A ‘no-deal’ Brexit scenario could see British tourists heading for hotspots such as Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy forced to pay £52 for a Schengen visa – which allows 90-day access to European destinations. A poll of 1,025 UK holidaymakers by World Travel Market London reveals 58 per cent would consider an alternative destination if they have to pay for a visa.
Newspaper reports during summer 2018 said the EU could class the UK along with the likes of Russia and China by charging tourists £52 for visas after Brexit.
If the UK is granted an exemption from the visa requirement, Brits could still be charged £7 for entry permits under a separate EU plan that will come into force in 2020.
Furthermore, regardless of whether a deal is agreed or not, four in ten believe Brexit will have an impact on their holiday plans in 2019, with a third worried about holidaying in Europe because of the UK’s departure from the EU.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that Brits took a record 46.5 million overseas holidays in 2017 – and a whopping 75 per cent of those trips are estimated to be in EU countries.
While doubts about the EU are mounting, the popularity of destinations outside the bloc is on the rise – especially Turkey and Tunisia.
Value-for-money Turkey has seen the number of Brits rising by two-thirds this year, as its currency has fallen to an all-time low against the pound, and UK tour operators added more airline seats to Turkish resorts.
Numbers to Tunisia from the UK have soared this year, albeit from a very low base, following the terrorist attacks in 2015. ONS figures revealed a 537 per cent year-on-year rise to 19,000 visits in the first quarter of 2018.
Russia will be hoping to capitalise on the interest generated by hosting the FIFA World Cup and research specialist Euromonitor international believes the Russian travel industry ‘is predicted to perform well’, partly thanks to exposure generated by the football tournament.
Furthermore, several destinations further afield are spending big at World Travel Market London to attract UK holidaymakers, including Iran, Sharjah and Jordan.
The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority will also be at WTM London to promote holidays in the Emirate, which aims to attract 10 million tourists by 2021 – a dramatic increase on the current annual total of around two million.
Jordan in particular is making a play for the UK tourist with the introduction of flights, slashing the average cost of a holiday from £500 per person to under £200.
Iran’s national tourist board will be at WTM London along with tour operators featuring holidays in the country, highlighting the opportunities for cultural and adventure tourism.
Around 50,000 senior industry executives fly into London to agree on deals worth more than £3 billion. These deals are the holiday routes, hotels and packages that holidaymakers will experience in 2019.
WTM London polled 1,025 2018 UK holidaymakers.
