Improved school and group travel between the UK and France is expected after both countries committed to removing some barriers that have arisen since Brexit.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s bilateral summit with French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday led to an agreement to make it easier for children to go on school exchanges.
The government said it was committed to ease the travel of school groups to the UK by making changes to documentary requirements for schoolchildren on organised trips from France.
France pledged to ensuring “appropriate mechanisms” are in place for visa free travel for children travelling on organised school trips from the UK and to facilitate the passage of groups through the border.
The announcement follows lobbying by Abta, UKinbound and The School Travel Forum to highlight challenges faced by school travel with government, including a joint letter sent to Sunak ahead of the Paris summit.
The letter called for action to ease the situation which has led to an estimated 84% drop in visits compared to pre-pandemic 2019 and also seen the welfare of school children and youth groups suffer due to excessive waiting times at entry ports and having to travel at extremely unsociable hours.
The three trade associations have want to see a new youth-group visa application process that is fully digitalised, works in collaboration with Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) and supports the 2025 UK Border Strategy.
It would allow students under the age of 18 that have an ID card – and therefore the right to live in the EU – and third country nationals that have settled in the EU, to travel to the UK as part of an educational or cultural group if accompanied by a teacher or supervisor over 18 years old who is travelling on a passport.
The two governments are still to confirm the details of the new arrangements and the associations have already been in touch to follow-up on the commitments made.
Abta public affairs director Luke Petherbridge said: “The prime minister and the French president commitment to easing school group travel between France and UK will be welcomed by the school and youth travel sector.
“Our members have been reporting challenges related to recent border policy changes, and they will now be eager to hear more about the details of what is being proposed.
“Working with our industry partners, The School Travel Forum and UKinbound, Abta will be in touch with the relevant government officials and will provide more information as soon as we have received it.”
Gill Harvey, chief executive of The School Travel Forum, added: “The school/youth travel sector has been forgotten for far too long.
“We welcome these discussions within government and look forward to young people being able to enjoy and benefit from the same opportunities and experiences as their older schoolmates.”
UKinbound chief executive Joss Croft said: “Many of our members’ businesses are heavily reliant on organising and bringing in school groups to the UK from France and other countries in the European Union but this sector has dropped off a cliff since the requirement for all EU visitors to travel with a passport rather than an ID card changed in October 2021.
“In 2019 this sector of the market was worth over £1 billion in export value to the UK economy, as well as providing a route to demonstrate ‘global Britain’ in practice.
“It is a relief therefore that the government has announced it is committed to making this process easier going forward and implementing the changes needed to recover this valuable inbound business for the UK.”