With the UK set to leave the EU on the 29th March, much uncertainty surrounds the outcome and whether or not we will leave with a deal. We understand that many are concerned about Brexit and how it may affect upcoming and potential future holidays, and we wish to somewhat reassure our clients about the future for luxury sailing holidays. We have drawn together information using research from various publications to compile this list of, hopefully, reassuring information!
A recent article by the BBC highlights that The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) have explained that there is no reason to be concerned when booking a holiday, and a spokeswoman for ABTA stated that holiday destinations in Europe will continue to welcome holiday makers from the UK as it is a very big market for them.
Passports
Drawing upon advice from ABTA, we suggest that you do check the expiry date of your passport. This is because the government recommend that when travelling to any EU country after 29th March 2019, you have six months left on your passport on the date of your arrival. The government have published an online tool for checking the validity of your passport under this new ruling; click here for the link to the page.
Other documents
In November 2018, the European Commission announced that UK citizens travelling to EU countries will not require a visa, so long as this is reciprocated for EU citizens visiting the UK. However, from 2021, UK citizens will be required to pay a fee of €7 for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) in order to travel to member states, after Brexit. This document will be valid for three years. For the time being though, you can carry on without the need for any extra documents.
Flights
Although the finer details regarding flights post-Brexit remains somewhat ambiguous, the European Commission have reassured that even in the event of a no-deal scenario, UK airlines would still be able to operate flights between the UK and the EU. The UK government has offered similar assurances, but state that in the event of no-deal, “the UK would envisage granting permission to EU airlines to continue to operate. We would expect EU countries to reciprocate in turn. It would not be in the interest of any EU country or the UK to restrict the choice of destinations that could be served, though, if such permissions are not granted, there could be disruption to some flights”.
Our advice
We wish to reassure that all of our yachts are legally set up to charter in Europe, meaning your yacht will definitely be there waiting for you, no matter what the outcome! What’s more, all our yachts are compliant with EU laws and regulations so for us it’s business as usual.
We always strongly recommend that our clients take out a travel insurance policy before travelling, so in light of Brexit we would also suggest carefully considering the small print to find out how the specific policy addresses the issue. Further, should we enter into a no-deal Brexit, UK registered EHIC (European Health Insurance Cards) will no longer be valid, therefore we suggest clients seek to find a suitable travel insurance policy prior to travel, if this is to be the outcome. Our recommended Travel Insurance Partner is Top Sail Insurance
In the event of a deal scenario, we will enter into a transition period until the end of 2020, meaning travel will continue as usual until this date.
References and useful links
https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46627083
https://www.sunsail.co.uk/blog/how-will-brexit-affect-travel
+44 (0)1702 535258
ahoy@diyachting.co.uk