The Effects of Brexit in the United Kingdom’s Tourism
The referendum on the decision to leave the UK from the European zone began in 2013 and the Brexit triumph was decided by a majority of 51.9 percent in June 2016. Since then, many negotiations have taken place between this country and the European Union in order to define the terms of its plan.
Trade and immigration were among the main areas of concern at global level, as well as the possible consequences of Brexit for tourism. Focusing on the latter, the data show that the departure from the European Union of the United Kingdom has led to the arrival of tourists from other parts of the world.
For this reason, online travel agency loveholidays conducted a survey with over 2000 participants in the United Kingdom about their likelihood of traveling abroad the next year. In fact, the results are consistent with our data on how Brexit has affected tourism, which shows that more and more people are looking for short and long journeys outside Germany.
In addition, Loveholidays has created a tool that makes it easier than ever to find your next destination and adapts it to your free time and budget. It is one of the largest online travel agencies in the United Kingdom and the results of the survey confirm that traveling abroad is always high for the UK. Let us look without further ado at exactly how Brexit has affected the travel industry.
Positive consequences of Brexit for tourism
In the UK
economy, the tourism industry shows figures that are far from the red figures
that were forecast at the beginning. Tourism in this country increased by 8
percent during 2017, mainly because of the devaluation of the pound, which
allows tourist money to yield much more. On average, the British currency has
fallen by 15 percent compared to other currencies, and although it is a
negative factor for the economy, it is extremely beneficial for tourism.
It has always been regarded as a place with quite
high prices in the United Kingdom, but the loss of value of its currency has
made it a more accessible country for tourists. According to Euromonitor
International, it occupies the eighth position of the most popular countries in
the world for foreign travelers.
In view of this panorama, it is clear that hundreds
of tourism - related companies have emerged that have achieved numerous
benefits. In August 2017, nearly 4 million more tourists visited the United
Kingdom in relation to the same period in 2016 (5 percent more). Economically,
these travelers spent more than EUR 3 000 million, which is 3% more than in
2016.
On the other hand, although the devaluation of the
pound favored the arrival of new tourists, it has had the opposite effect in
the case of the British themselves. Due to the impact on their purchasing
power, 3 percent fewer indigenous people made a trip outside their country in
2017. With these figures, the United Kingdom’s population is the fourth largest
in the world when traveling to other countries.
What was the forecast of consequences of Brexit?
Before this data was confirmed, all predictions were
that Brexit would have a negative impact on tourism. In this sense, various
factors have been established which could reduce the number of visitors to the
United Kingdom.
Consequently, it was predicted that airlines would
increase air travel as a consequence of the possible restrictions on flying
through this area. Similarly, the experts also pointed to a reduction in the
legal protection of passengers, an increase in the cost of calls for a likely
regulation of the roaming service and the termination of reciprocal health care
among European citizens.
The percentages show, however, that these forecasts
on the impact of Brexit on tourism were not met. Whether you are a member of
the European Union or not, the UK is always a destination worth visiting to
enjoy all its amazing attractions in the first place. Therefore, if you decide to
visit this country for the first time or you are a regular, it is now as good
as ever!
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