The uncertainty regarding Brexit leads British travelers to turn away from the European Union. Instead, many of them book holidays in Turkey.
According to ForwardKeys, an analyst of air data recorded via GDS, “Summer bookings from the United Kingdom to European Union countries are 4.6% behind last year.”
"EU bookings in the UK slowed considerably in the first quarter of this year," commented Olivier Ponti, Vice-President of ForwardKeys.
Turkey and Tunisia back on track
The expert also pointed out that the main European destinations have been hit hard by the decline in UK demand. The uncertainty about Brexit clearly impacts how people think about holiday plans. Spain is currently 7.0% behind summer bookings in the United Kingdom compared to last year. Greece is at 2.7%, Cyprus at 6.9%, and Portugal at 10.6%.
The latest analyses show an increase of nearly 14% in British travelers' bookings to non-European destinations, leading to the return of Turkey and Tunisia instead of the Balearics and Canary Islands. According to experts, Turkey's demand is even 31% ahead of last year, especially due to the recent simplifying of the rules for getting an e-visa in Turkey. Egypt and Jamaica are also doing very well.
At Easter, London remains attractive
EU air travel bookings to the UK have also declined, but for the Easter period, incoming travel to the UK does not seem to be affected, with bookings up by 7.7%. The main source markets are Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Spain, and Italy, which are all growing. Easter fell at the end of March last year but will end in April.