Significant holiday price increases, airline fare rises, healthcare costs abroad, passport control queues, the loss of free mobile phone roaming and potentially unfavourable exchange rates were the major concerns voiced in a 1,000 strong survey carried out for the World Travel 2017 Industry Report which was released last week.

 

Commenting on the top-line findings, WTM London’s spokesman Paul Nelson, said: “Our travel-specific findings around Brexit could be a bellwether for how the country feels at the moment.

 

HALF OF RESPONDENTS CONCERNED ABOUT COSTS

“Half the UK are worried about the costs, most Brits have some concerns – but they are varied – and a quarter of the population is saying that Brexit will not have any influence on them.

 

“As things stand, the British travel industry – inbound and outbound – needs to have some clarity from the negotiators around consumer protection, passport control and mobile phone bills, among other things.”

 

Within the survey, the increasing price of holidays abroad was cited as the major post-Brexit fear by most survey respondents.

 

At the same time, the UK pound sterling has weakened against the dollar and the euro since the referendum, with many of those surveyed pointing out that popular holiday destinations are already more expensive – well before the UK leaves the EU.

 

More than half (54%) the 1,000-strong sample size said that they were also concerned specifically about the worsening pound/euro exchange rate, while a similar proportion (52%) said holiday costs are already an issue, while 45% said they are worried about the separate costs of flights.

 

‘EU MEMBER’ AIR TRAVEL RIGHTS WILL DISAPPEAR

Many of those surveyed also expressed concerns about other potential overseas travel cost implications directly associated with leaving the EU.

 

For example, more than one in three (38%) of those British citizens asked said they were concerned about losing entitlement to free state healthcare in Europe, with the future of the European Health Insurance Card in doubt. One-third (33%) said they were also nervous about the increased risk of longer queues at passport control.

 

One-in-four also expressed fears about losing the loss of free mobile roaming in Europe, a benefit which British travellers gained relatively recently after a European Commission ruling.

 

24% NOT CONCERNED AT ALL

Many acknowledge that it is not known how the mobile phone operators will treat UK customers once the UK is not part of Europe – or how they will be regulated in future.

 

The WTM survey also revealed some other concerns: “Smaller, but still significant worries felt by one-in-six of the sample include the loss of other consumer rights which are in place because of European legislation – 17% fear that holiday protection will suffer, with 16% concerned specifically about losing the delayed flight and denied boarding compensation scheme.”

 

Apart from this, 24% of the sample asked said that they had no concerns around Brexit or its impact on their future holidays.