Increased bureaucracy at borders and a perception that Britain is now an unwelcoming nation are causing French and German tourists to stay away from the UK, according to industry experts.
Data from Visit Britain and the Anholt Ipsos Nation Brand Index reported by the Guardian shows that the UK’s desirability as a tourist destination has fallen in French and German people’s estimation compared with other countries, dropping nine places in the German popularity rankings and five in the French in the first eight years after the Brexit vote.
Why does it matter? Because the French and German tourism markets are two of the UK’s largest.
This year, German and French walking tour bookings in Oxfordshire are at half their 2019 levels. Passenger vehicle transport via Le Shuttle Channel Tunnel declined by 21% between 2019 and 2022, a year in which Brittany Ferries saw just 46% of their 2019 arrivals. What’s more, the number of schools and students travelling to the UK has plummeted by 83%, losing the country £875 million and 14,500 jobs, according to Transcontinental Times.
Chief executive of UKinbound, Joss Croft OBE, the trade association for the inbound tourism industry, blamed the problem on post-Brexit paperwork and fees.
We know that the introduction of the new requirement for passports for EU citizens to access the UK … is proving to be a deterrent to travel, particularly for school groups, due to the additional costs and bureaucracy.
Joss Croft OBE, chief executive of UKinbound
Rules introduced in October 2021 mean EU citizens require a passport to enter the UK. Less than half the population of France and Germany hold a valid passport, whereas ID cards are mandatory for them. Previously they could use ID cards to get through UK border checks. No longer.
The numbers are worrying enough for Jersey’s government to announce last month a pilot project, permitting French citizens to use their ID cards instead of passports on day trips to the island.
School visits, another important part of the UK market, are also falling out of favour. Teachers planning trips to the UK face nightmarish admin and rising costs, even if only a small number of children in a large group do not hold EU passports. Children with non-EU passports, such as refugees and many in international and European schools, are required to pay £95 each for a UK entry visa. Many schools are turning to Ireland and other English-speaking destinations in Europe instead to avoid the passport issue altogether.
The scale of the problem was clear last month, when Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron announced the improvement of opportunities for school trips under the Windsor framework.
Executive director of the British Educational Travel Association (Beta), Emma English has written to UK immigration minister Robert Jendrick asking for further details on the framework but told the Guardian “There is however no information [on this].”
Meanwhile, looming ahead for businesses and travellers in October is the black cloud of electronic travel authorisation (ETA). As with the US Esta system, even tourists who do not require a visa will need to pay for a digital permit.
Richard Toomer, executive director of the Tourism Alliance, said ETAs need to be priced at a reasonable level.
We really need to look again at our high visa costs.
Richard Toomer, executive director of the Tourism Alliance
“European ID cards no longer being accepted at the UK border is a significant barrier to certain travellers, especially school groups, but we’re hopeful we’ll see some movement on this soon, particularly for travellers to and from France.”
