Travel News April/May 2019
With the situation unclear at time of going to Press and ongoing discussions in Parliament, April 12 is the next crucial date on the deal or no deal Brexit calendar. However, the UK Government has confi rmed that it will reciprocate the European Union’s arrangements for air travel in the event of a no-deal Brexit, which has been welcomed by ABTA – The Travel Association. This confi rms that EU airlines will be able to continue to operate fl ights between the UK and the EU, even in the unlikely event of a no-deal Brexit taking place.
It reciprocates the plans the European Commission is putting in place, which would allow UK airlines to
Everything stays same
EVEN in a ‘no deal’, the earliest the UK will leave the EU is April 12, 2019, this means everything will stay the same until that point and you can continue to travel as you do now.
If the UK Government agrees a Brexit deal, the UK will enter a transition period which would keep things as they are during this period, and holidaymakers and business travellers will continue to travel as they do now.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal then there are some steps UK passport holders may need to take to avoid any unnecessary disruption to your travel plans. These are outlined on the ABTA website.
WELCOME FOR EU-UK PACT... A
BTA has welcomed UK Government’s confi rmation recently that fl ights will continue in a no-deal Brexit.
UPDATES 3
Flights to go on, even after a ‘no deal’
operate routes to and from the UK to EU countries. They will also be able to make stops in EU countries and fl y over EU airspace.
Initially the European Commission said fl ights for this year would be capped at Summer 2018 levels in a no-deal, however it has now been confi rmed that this has been removed from the fi nal legislation. ABTA and its Members have been lobbying offi cials in Brussels and destination Governments about the air travel cap, highlighting the detrimental impact it would have on the growth of tourism and destination’s economies. Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said: “This announcement provides further assurance that, whatever the outcome of Brexit, travellers can continue to book holidays and business trips with confi dence.
“Europe is the most popular holiday destination for UK travellers with 58 million trips made to the continent each year. More than three in fi ve people are planning to take a trip to Europe this year, so travellers will be pleased to see the fi nal confi rmation from the UK on their ability to fl y even in the event of a no-deal. “It’s worth remembering that if the UK and the EU agree a deal, we will be in a transition period and everything will stay the same for travel until the end of 2020 – meaning people can continue to travel to the EU exactly as they do now. While it is encouraging that there are plans in place for a no-deal scenario, we encourage politicians to work to avoid a no-deal Brexit.” ABTA and its Members are off ering advice to holidaymakers and business travellers heading to the UK after Brexit – with the latest ABTA information available at
abta.com/Brexit.
Flights will continue in the event of a no-deal Brexit says ABTA (see story left) CRUISE TERMINAL BOOST
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“Belfast is now the third most popular destination in the UK and Ireland for one-day cruise ship calls after Dublin and Orkney. This is a remarkable achievement that refl ects the ongoing marketing activities of our partnership with Visit Belfast under the Cruise Belfast brand.
“This year we’re particularly pleased to welcome a number of standout new calls including Disney and the fi rst visit to any Irish port by SAGA’s newest vessel. Belfast City Centre and day trip destinations such as the Giant’s Causeway, the Glens of Antrim and Ards Peninsula continue to be a big draw for visiting passengers.”
The largest ship to berth will be the 319m long, 125,000 tonne Celebrity ‘Refl ection’ which carries 4,300 passengers and crew.
For the record, Cruise ships leaving Belfast later this year include the MSC Meraviglia which will embark on a 12-night Grand Voyages Cruise on Thursday, September 26. Destinations include Reykjavik, St John’s Newfoundland, Halifax Nova
Scotia, and New York city.
Cruise & Maritime’s Magellan departs from Belfast on Wednesday, June 24, taking clients on a eight-day River Seine Experience. The Magellan will call at Cork (Cobh), the Scilly Isles, Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Rouen, France, Greenock, returning to Belfast on Thursday, July 2. The Magellan also leaves again on July 2 for a nine- night Cruise & Maritime ‘Fjordland Splendour’. Ports of call are Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Bergen, Flam and Eidfjord, all Norway, and Greenock (Glasgow) returning to Belfast on July 11. Magellan leaves Belfast again on July 11 on a Two- night Mini Cruise, calling at Liverpool on July 12 and at Dublin on July 13, when clients will disembark. Fred. Olsen has off ered Belfast departure cruises in the past but wouldn’t be drawn on reinstating local embarkations. Peter Deer, Commercial Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We have no plans to change to our UK departure ports for the foreseeable future, but we are always keeping a close eye on market conditions.”
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