Almost a fifth of UK holidaymakers are putting off a European holiday because of Brexit uncertainty, according to research by Holiday Extras.
This figure rises to a third among those aged 35 to 44, according to the poll of more than 2,000 people, ahead of the UK’s exit from the European Union on January 31.
The biggest concern was healthcare, with a quarter fearing limited accessibility of medical insurance while 20% were worried about the availability of reciprocal healthcare.
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Other travel worries include queues at passport control (23%), the exchange rate for euros (18%), passport changes (15%), and 14% were concerned about the potential negative attitudes to British travellers from our European counterparts.
About 8% said that uncertainty over post-Brexit travel rules was causing them to put their plans on hold, while 5% reported they were choosing a staycation.
In response, Holiday Extras has created a Brexit Holiday Checker to help travellers understand how Brexit may affect any travel plans.
Seamus McCauley, editor-in-chief at Holiday Extras, commented: “There’s still a lot of uncertainty about travelling to Europe after January 31 when we leave the EU.
“The good news for travellers is that for the whole of 2020, even after we leave the EU, we’ll be in a transition period during which our travel rights will be pretty much the same as before Brexit, so holidays between January 2020 and the end of the year shouldn’t really be affected by Brexit.
“Having discovered that people are putting off or even cancelling holidays because of Brexit, we decided to launch our Brexit Holiday Checker to give travellers everything they need to know for trips to Europe – not just after January 31 but also after the transition period comes to end in December this year.”
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