There’s a pretty good chance that unless you’ve been living on the moon for the past few months, you’ll be aware that next week, voters go to the polls to decide whether or not Britain should remain as part of the European Union.
The topic of Brexit is one that has been much discussed in recent weeks, as both sides of the debate put together their views as to what is right for the future of the country, with the Remain and Leave campaigns involved in increasingly heated discussions as they try and persuade people to follow their lead.
Much has been made about topics like the National Health Service, our weekly contribution to Brussels and the political hot potato that is immigration but there are also questions to be asked about the impact that the referendum will have on the travel and tourism industry.
Back in March, ABTA – the travel association that represents travel agents and tour operators across the UK, including Traveltext and our sister brand HotHolidays – released it’s own report into Brexit, carried out alongside professional services firm Deloitte into the impact of a possible exit from the EU once the vote takes place.
Looking at the impact on the consumer, ABTA noted a series of potential problems that travellers could face in the event of a vote to leave, based largely on the various EU regulations that offer protection and support for anyone heading to an EU member state and also on the uncertainty that a leave vote could have on the economy.
Given that the majority of British people going abroad on holiday head for European shores, with Spain being particularly popular, there are various ways in which membership of the EU has proven to be beneficial.
For a start, regulations have provided greater protection for those booking a package holiday within the EU in the event of insolvency or a ‘failure to perform contracted services’, whist there are also a range of passenger rights related to your flights – the most widely used of which relates to compensation in cases of denied boarding or flight delays.
Freedom of Movement is viewed as another key element of EU membership, with things like the European Health Insurance Card (which provides access to local health care) and the abolition of mobile roaming fees next year being affected by a possible European Union exit. Lower air fares are also currently available thanks to the ‘open skies’ policy in place across the EU.
In the event of a Leave vote, the UK government could seek to negotiate deals to replace a number of EU regulations, although there is no guarantee that such agreements would be forthcoming and there would also be the time required to push legislation through.
Questions are also raised by ABTA as to what impact a leave vote would have on the strength of the pound, with the possibility that a weaker pound could not only increase the cost of a holiday, but also make spending whilst overseas more expensive.
That’s without taking into account the potential impact on the wider tourism and travel industry in the UK, with things like employment potentially being affected by a leave vote and the way in which it could affect people visiting Britain from overseas.
“Our assessment of the report’s findings is that a vote to leave will lead to uncertainties and may lead to increased costs for travel businesses and the travelling public,” ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer explained. “We recognise that people will approach this referendum by considering many factors – personal, professional, and economic – before casting their vote.
“ABTA has considered what a vote to leave the EU might mean purely from a travel perspective. Our view is that the potential risks and downsides are not matched by an equal upside for the traveller.”
Although time has passed since ABTA’s report was published, the view from within the Remain campaign has continued to emphasise the negative impact of a vote to leave the EU, with David Cameron making comment on how a Mediterranean holiday could increase in cost and the changes to entitlements when it comes to bringing in products like alcohol from overseas, and a number of senior figures from within the travel industry raising questions about how wise it would be to walk away from Europe.
The fact that that includes Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary – someone who has been more than vocal in the past about the EU – provides an indication of the strength of feeling about the issue, although it should be noted that such budget airlines would be hard hit by the potential increase in costs for carriers flying within the EU – having benefitted most from the open skies rules.
As with most of the issues regarding Brexit however, airlines could still retain some of their current entitlements if certain deals were struck.
The fact that such deals could be made means there are a raft of questions that exist when it comes to the impact of Brexit on the tourism industry, which is perhaps why it is one of the best examples of the uncertainties that a potential exit from the EU holds for voters.
No-one really knows on either side exactly what impact Brexit will have if it happens - in short only time will tell.
To be clear, this isn’t a case of us trying to sway your vote either way – that decision is totally down to you and your views on the key issues that affect you.