ABTA says it will also be busy due to Easter being in the middle of the school holidays – with some people returning from a week’s vacation and others heading away.
However, the association explains that this Easter will look a bit different compared to previous years, with the conflict in the Middle East affecting where people can travel.
Many people changing their plans and vacationing in Europe as unpredictability remains high for long-haul holidays on the entire Asian continent.
ABTA members report strong bookings for mainland Spain, the Balearic and Canary Islands, Portugal and Greece. City-break destinations are also proving popular, with Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest and Dublin leading the way. As Easter falls early this year, many are also looking to make the most of the last of the season’s snow.
Longer queues expected at passport controls in Europe due to EES
The Association says that those traveling to Europe will have a different experience at passport control – with the Entry/Exit System (EES) in operation at most borders, meaning people will need to register their details in the new system when they get to the border (both when arriving and leaving participating European countries) and may need to provide a facial scan and/or fingerprints as well.
ABTA says people need to factor EES into their travel plans as it is likely to take longer to go through passport control. Travelers should follow the advice of their travel provider regarding EES, particularly in terms of when to arrive for their return journey, and allow plenty of time to go through passport control.
ABTA is providing advice to help people with their travels through its travel advice checklist and specific information on EES with these two links:
– ABTA’s travel checklist | ABTA
– Upcoming changes for travel to Europe | ABTA
Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, said: “Easter is one of the busiest times for the travel industry as millions use this opportunity to take a break and head overseas. ABTA travel agents and tour operators have been working hard to support their customers in the run-up to the Easter period, helping them prepare for their travels and making alternative arrangements where their vacation has been affected by the conflict in the Middle East.”
“We’re encouraging everyone who is traveling over this period to take some time to check their arrangements before setting off, including recognizing the roads are likely to be busy, so leave plenty of time to get to your departure port, check for any engineering works if using public transport and be mindful that if traveling to Europe you may need to go through EES checks both when arriving and leaving your destination.”
