The UK is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Thanks to the combination of history, culture and stunning scenery, people flock from across the globe to see what it’s like to live here. London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast all rank themselves as the places where tourists want to come and see why this little island earned its reputation of being Great Britain.
The political situation here in recent years has meant that coming and going from the UK might not be as easy as it once was, especially for EU citizens. In 2016, the British public made the somewhat surprising decision to leave the EU after a referendum where 52% of voters thought the country would be better off on its own. This has implications for tourists coming here, so here are a few things to consider.
Clearing Immigration
Part of the conversation in the lead up to the Brexit vote was concerned with the amount of migrants that were coming into the UK. A lot of people were of the belief that immigration was too high, and the open border policy of the EU was not helping to control levels. As the vote was passed on these grounds tourist checks are likely to become more thorough.
Factor this in when you are planning your trip to the UK, especially if it happens to fall after the deadline in March 2019. There will be plenty of help from the UK government’s website once the new rules have been settled on, but there will be documentation that you can provide to ensure you don’t have to spend hours waiting to get through an immigration desk.
Currency Changes
It was widely reported in financial news outlets that the UK currency, British Pounds Sterling, fell heavily against the Euro upon the announcement that the UK had voted to leave the EU. This was good news to European tourists who were travelling at that time as it meant that their money was going to be worth more than it otherwise would’ve been at the rates before the vote.
If you have plans to travel to the UK, from now on you can expect to get a wee bit more than you did before. Keep an eye on the currency values before you buy Sterling as the rate changes from day to day, so could timing can mean an extra couple of pounds to spend when your trip comes around. Try to spend as much of your sterling while you’re out there as well because once your holiday comes to an end, you will be stung by the poor rate when converting your money back into Euros.
The UK Feeling
In the wake of the Brexit vote, there were news stories showing a degree of anti-European sentiment, with some racist attacks being committed in the immediate aftermath. This should not deter you from travelling to the UK, as incidents of this type are not any more common here than they are in other parts of the world.
The reality is the many Brits don’t know fully what they want from Brexit. Whether it’s a hard Brexit, or a soft Brexit. UK businesses are currently leaning towards remain when it comes to Brexit sentiment. Once you meet the people, you’ll find the majority are very welcoming to Europeans and happy to see tourists enjoying the UK.
