How Will Brexit Affect Travel to the U.K. and Europe?
The immediate impact of Brexit on travel between the U.K. and Europe is largely minimal for practical purposes. Here's what you need to know:
Practical Aspects of Travel
For travelers, the passport requirement remains unchanged. There's no need for a visa, and you still need travel insurance. For most business trips to city destinations, if you have a modern debit or credit card with a chip and PIN, you won't need currency. Ideally, a contactless payment system would make your stay more convenient.
However, there may be some perceptual and behavioral changes. For many EU citizens, the UK is now considered a foreign destination rather than part of a familiar landscape. This might influence travel habits and reluctance to visit the UK.
Perceptual and Behavioral Changes
One of the most noticeable changes might be the way EU citizens perceive and behave. Some might find the UK less welcoming, especially when they encounter English people. This change in attitude could affect the number of EU nationals visiting the UK.
On the other hand, the UK's economy, particularly tourism, relies heavily on EU citizens. Therefore, to minimize disruption, reciprocal arrangements for holidaymakers and business travelers are expected to remain similar to current Western nations' practices.
Future Travel Regulations
The Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration have outlined the objectives, with the aim of concluding by December 2020 at the end of the transition period. Therefore, no immediate changes are expected until then.
Currently, the British Pound's value is more volatile, which can lead to some insecurity for both holidaymakers and travel agents. However, until the transition period ends, travel arrangements largely remain unchanged.
A temporary standstill transition period is in place after Boris Johnson completes Brexit. This means that the current arrangements for UK holidaymakers traveling to the EU will continue. There might be changes in 2021 in areas such as reciprocal health cover, pet passports, compensation for flight delays, pre-clearance for travel registration, and visa requirements for extended stays in the EU.
In the meantime, vacations and business trips to the EU for UK citizens can continue as usual. Given the scale and complexity of the proposed changes, it's likely that current holiday arrangements will continue into 2021.
Conclusion
While Brexit may introduce some changes in travel practices, the immediate impact remains minimal. EU citizens can continue to enjoy the UK with the same travel benefits they had when the UK was an EU member. UK citizens can travel to EU countries with relative ease as long as they are prepared for some potential changes in travel policies.