Brits in the South East planning their holiday getaway to Europe next year have been urged to carry out a Brexit ‘MOT’ before Britain officially leaves the EU.
Most people in the region – which includes the Isle of Wight – have taken no action to prepare for potential changes that could affect travel in Europe after 23:00 on Friday 29th March 2019.
Possible post-Brexit changes to travel could include Brits needing visas to visit France or flights being grounded – and anyone hoping to take a pet abroad will need to visit a vet at least 4 months before the trip.
But over 8 in 10 (82%) people in the South East say they have not researched at all about how Brexit could affect their holiday plans, according to a survey for sister cruise companies Scenic and Emerald Waterways. And 75% say they are completely unaware of potential changes to passport regulations and disruption to travel in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Currently Brits can enter any Schengen area country even if their passport only has a day left before it expires – but if there is no deal, travellers may not be able to visit these countries unless they have 6 months left on their passport.
The government has advised adults and children to renew passports that have less than 6 months’ validity at the time of any planned trip. However, just 9% of people in the South East have renewed their passport and just 5% say they have checked their insurance company’s Brexit Terms and Conditions.
Nearly half (49%) of Brits surveyed in the region said they have visited an EU country in the past year but a fifth (20%) of those said they would consider not booking a trip to an EU country because of fears around Brexit uncertainty. And 28% of British travellers said they would avoid booking travel to EU countries during the end of March or early April 2019 because of Brexit uncertainties.
A plummeting pound, rising prices and the threat of no access to medical care are putting British holidaymakers off travelling to some of their favourite European destinations.
Colin Downing, Managing Director of Scenic and Emerald Waterways said:
“I would urge anyone planning a summer holiday to the continent next year to carry out a thorough MOT of their arrangements to make sure they are as ready as possible for their trip and not to let Brexit doubts ruin their holiday.
“We talk to our customers all the time but wanted a clearer picture of how much they really understood about Brexit and how it may affect holiday plans which is why we commissioned this survey. The results have made us realise that Britain needs to wake up. We’re passionate about supporting our customers and want to help them take action with our three-step plan.
“By just checking your passport and going through your insurance T&Cs now you’ll be better prepared for next year”.
Brits’ Top 10 fears about travelling in Europe post-Brexit:
- The strength of the pound (47%)
- Rising flight prices (46%)
- Insurance price hikes (43%)
- Access to medical care (40%)
- Rising accommodation prices (39%)
- The uncertainty around what will happen after Brexit (37%)
- Delays and travel complications (36%)
- Needing a visa (33%)
- Whether or not you will be able to enter a country (25%)
- Planes being grounded (25%)
