UK tourists 'ditching Spain and Greece' in favour of 'paperwork free' country
Concerns are growing in Spain that more UK tourists will go elsewhere for their holidays after new travel rules are brought in on November 10. Brits make up most of Spain's overseas visitors, however it's feared a new EU system being rolled out this autumn may cause some holidaymakers to think twice.
When the new Entry/Exit System (EES) starts, travellers entering most European countries from countries outside of the EU, including Britain, will have to register their fingerprints and a facial scan at the border. The computerised system will replace the current process of manually stamping passports at the border on entry and exit.
It's hoped that the upgrade will eventually speed up the entry process at border control, though it's predicted the launch may cause some delays initially, however concerns have been raised that the new system could put some people off from travelling to the EU entirely.
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Seamus McCauley, head of public affairs at travel company Holiday Extras, told the Express: "Some British travellers have already changed their plans to avoid the EES coming on November 10."
A second new EU travel system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), is expected to begin next year, requiring non-EU citizens to obtain a permit to travel to countries in the Schengen Area. After this, Seamus believes that more UK tourists will be driven to book holidays to countries with less stringent entry requirements.
He said: "More are likely to do the same when ETIAS comes in since there are plenty of alternative destinations that don’t demand the new paperwork - Ireland, Cyprus, Albania, Turkey, the Channel Isles, Montenegro, Georgia and anywhere in North Africa like Tunisia, Morocco or Egypt, just to name some of the places you can fly to direct in one to four hours that won’t be adopting the new system."
Spanish news site Majorca Daily Bulletin echoed concerns that increased wait times at airports and border points could convince tourists to choose alternative holiday destinations next year.
When EES starts in November, British holidaymakers will have to register their biometric details like fingerprints and a facial scan when they first enter the Schengen Area. It's understood that this will only take a few minutes to do. On subsequent visits within a three-year period, travellers will only need to scan their passports and verify either their fingerprint or photograph.
From next year, UK holidaymakers will need to pay £6 to apply for a travel permit to enter most European countries. Applicants will need to provide some personal information like their name, date of birth and passport details, as well as basic information about their travel plans.