5 2


Brits will enjoy visa-free travel to EU after Brexit


Stephen Penn stephen.penn@travelweekly.co.uk


Visa-free travel for Brits has been dubbed the “best news yet” amid a Brexit breakthrough.


The European Commission this


week proposed British travellers should not need visas in the event of a no-deal Brexit, provided the UK offers the same to EU nationals. UK citizens would not need


a visa when travelling to the 26 countries in the Schengen area for stays of up to 90 days. If a Brexit deal is reached by


March 29, the visa-free rules would apply at the end of the transition period. The European Commission said: “This proposal is entirely conditional upon the UK also granting reciprocal and non-discriminatory visa-free travel for all EU member states.” A UK government spokesman


welcomed the proposal and told Travel Weekly that it “reflects the


future relationship that the UK wants with the rest of the EU”.


Scenic Eclipse (rendering) and, inset, Sarah Smith


He added: “We have been clear in our proposals that we want to ensure reciprocal measures on visa-free travel for tourists and short-term business visitors with the EU.” Abta, which had made visa-free


travel a “lobbying priority”, welcomed the proposal. A spokesman said updated guidance would be issued to members once proposals had been analysed. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief


executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “This is great news for the industry after a long period of uncertainty. While this still needs approval to be reciprocated, this is the best news yet [in terms of Brexit].” Gary Lewis, chief executive


of The Travel Network Group, said “this has to be good news”, adding: “It’s in everyone’s interest if we can continue to travel freely across Europe.” The European Commission also announced on Tuesday that aircraft would not be grounded in the event of a no-deal Brexit.


Agent’s sale set to Eclipse £100k


Harry Kemble harry.kemble@travelweekly.co.uk


A Travel Counsellors agent has made enough commission to “buy a new kitchen” after making the third-largest trade booking in Scenic’s history.


Sarah Smith made the £83,190 booking after driving to see her clients twice on her return from a presentation of Scenic Eclipse at Travel Counsellors’ Gold Conference in Portugal. Her clients, a couple from near


Visa-free travel for Brits is ‘conditional’ on a reciprocal arrangement for EU citizens


Hull, will sail on a 23-day South Georgia with Taste of Argentina & Brazil cruise, visit Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro and stay in a Grand Panorama Suite on the 228-capacity Eclipse in January 2020. Smith, of Brough, East Yorkshire, says her booking could surpass £100,000 once ground arrangements in Peru and flights are added. She would not disclose how much commission she will earn, but said it would be enough to “buy a new kitchen”. “Seeing Eclipse on screen at the conference made me think about my clients,” she said.


“Seeing Eclipse on screen made me think about my clients. Going to see them helped”


“Going to see them helped”. Joseph Grimley, Scenic UK


director of trade sales, said: “It’s a fantastic booking for us. She showed great intuition.” But, as Smith celebrated her bumper sale, at least 20 agents were having to rearrange customers’ Eclipse bookings after delivery of the ship was delayed


for a second time, this week. Eclipse’s first sailing date has been moved from an amended date of late January to April 13, 2019. Financial issues at the Uljanik shipyard in Pula, Croatia were cited by the line for the delay.


Scenic said about 20 of the 40 UK bookings affected were made by agents and that commission had been protected. The operator is offering full


refunds and a 25% discount on a future cruise for those booked on one of the seven cancelled cruises.


15 November 2018travelweekly.co.uk5 3 STORIES HOT


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