Almost half of Britons (47%) fear it is likely that UK travellers will need to pay for a visa to visit EU countries post-Brexit, new research reveals today (Thursday).
If a fee-based visa system were to be introduced, 49% of respondents say prices for EU travellers should be set at the same level that UK travellers would have to pay to visit the European bloc.
However, a third of people think that EU travellers should not have to pay to visit the UK even if UK travellers were required to pay a fee to travel to the EU.
When asked their reasons for keeping visa costs low or free for EU tourists, 62% of those respondents want the UK to be a welcoming country, while 58% believe it is also beneficial to the UK economy. Fifty six per cent also think it would encourage good relations with other EU nations.
The YouGov research covering more than 2,000 adults for eDreams ODIGEO comes as the latest customer data from the European OTA shows a strong upward trend in the number of travellers visiting the UK, in comparison to growth levels across the rest of Europe.
There was a 49% year-on-year rise in the number of passengers flying to the UK for Easter with travellers from France, Germany and Spain making up two thirds of the trips.
Younger generation were more opposed to the introduction of a paid-visa for visitors to the UK with 62% saying it should never be required compared to a population average of 53%.
Scots were equally against to the introduction of a paid for visa with 62% saying they would oppose it. However, Londoners were even more opposed – only 20% said they would support the introduction of a paid for visa programme.
By contrast, more than double this number would support a visa programme in the north-east of England.
The company’s head of UK and group external affairs, Robert McNamara, said: “We see a growing number of customers taking advantage of low-cost air fares and bundled flight and hotel deals to enjoy multiple short-breaks throughout the year.
“This is good news for the UK because our cities are increasingly popular destinations for European travellers. Our research shows that Brits want to keep it this way by making sure that entry costs to the UK are kept as low as possible for EU citizens.”