EES-related delays have ‘limited impact’ on Brits’ travel intentions

Reports of delays caused by the new Entry/Exit System (EES) at European airports appear to have had a “limited” impact on travel intentions, new research suggests.

 

Market research specialist YouGov quizzed British adults about their travel experiences and plans following widespread media coverage of queues at European airports amid EES problems for non-Schengen travellers.

 

Stefan Schulte, ACI Europe president, said EES is what “keeps me and many other airport CEOs across Europe awake at night”, and Kenton Jarvis, easyJet chief executive, urged European member states to be more flexible, pointing to the example of Greece, which suspended biometric border checks for UK passport holders in April.

 

The YouGov found that three quarters (75%) of Britons say they had heard reports that the EES could lead to longer waits at border crossings before taking the survey.

About one in five (22%) say they had not heard about the reports, while 4% are unsure.

 

Looking at travel behaviour, 15% say they travelled to Europe in the last month, 39% plan to travel to Europe in the next 12 months and 5% say both apply.

 

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Among those who travelled to Europe in the last month, the most commonly reported experience is queues to have biometric information, such as fingerprints or a facial image, recorded (36%).

 

Three in 10 (30%) say they experienced longer queues at passport or border control, while 16% report additional passport or document checks.

 

One in nine (11%) report delays at airport or port security or say they experienced delays but are unsure what caused them (11%). More than a third (37%) say they experienced none of these issues.

 

 More than a quarter of recent travellers (27%) say EES increased their travel time, while 19% say it caused stress or anxiety and 16% say it delayed the start of their holiday. Around one in 10 (11%) say it made them worry about future trips to Europe.

 

Just over half (53%) of recent travellers say none of the listed impacts applied to their trip.

 

Despite some travellers reporting delays or inconvenience, most do not expect to alter their future travel plans because of their experience, with 51% saying they are extremely unlikely to do so.

 

About 17% say they are likely to change future travel to Europe following their recent experience with EES (7% extremely likely and 10% slightly likely), while 24% say they are neither likely nor unlikely to change their plans.

 

Among Britons planning to travel to Europe in the next 12 months, concern about experiencing longer waits is relatively common, although it tends to be moderate rather than severe.

 

Two in five (41%) say they are slightly concerned, while 25% are moderately concerned and 16% are very concerned. By comparison, 15% say they are not at all concerned.

 

News report sabout EES appear more likely to influence how people travel than whether they travel.

 

Nearly two thirds (64%) say they will still travel as planned, while 41% say they will allow more time for their journey.

 

Smaller proportions say they will travel at a different time of year (8%), choose a destination outside Europe (5%) or delay booking their trip (4%).

None of those surveyed had cancelled plans to travel to Europe because of the reports.

 

YouGov said: “Overall, the findings suggest that while news reports of EES-related delays have reached most Britons and some recent travellers report experiencing additional queues or disruption, these experiences have had a limited impact on travel intentions.

 

“Most prospective travellers still plan to visit Europe, with many indicating they would adjust their travel arrangements rather than cancel or postpone their trips.”

The company polled 1,003 British adults online on June 27.