In this edition, we take a look at the United Kingdom's new travel rules. An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is now required for citizens of some 30 European nations. We explain what the rules are, how they could affect tourism and how the industry is trying to entice travellers to go to Scotland by boat!
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NewsTranscript
00:00New travel rules have gone into effect for European nationals going to the United Kingdom
00:05and electronic travel authorisation will now be required.
00:08Solange Moujian joins us in the studio for more on what exactly travellers need to know
00:14before they go.
00:15So what exactly is this document, Solange?
00:16Well, it's actually in the same vein as the ESTA requirements to go to the United
00:20States, which has been in place since 2009.
00:22The United Kingdom's EDA, or Electronic Travel Authorisation, is a waiver that travellers
00:28must apply for before they go to the United Kingdom.
00:31It actually was rolled out last November for a number of Middle East countries and then
00:35in January for the US, Canada and Australia and now, as of April 2nd, for some 30 European
00:41nations.
00:42There are exceptions to this requirement though, Ireland being one of the major ones.
00:47Irish nationals and then of course as well British citizens, dual nationals, all those
00:52that already have a visa or permission to work, study or live in the UK do not need
00:57it, nor do school class trips, but pretty much everyone else needs this EDA.
01:03And what is significant here, in my view at least, is how things have changed so fast
01:07in the past five years since Brexit.
01:10Not only are passports now required, but this electronic waiver is now mandatory as well.
01:15It's important to note that the UK is not the only one tightening its travel rules.
01:19The European Union is also slated to roll out a similar scheme in 2026.
01:24The EU one is called the ETIAS or the European Travel Information and Authorization System
01:30and I'll get more into the implications of all of this that it could all have.
01:34It rolls off your tongue really, doesn't it?
01:37Exactly.
01:38ETIAS.
01:39All the implications that this could have on tourism in a minute, but first some of
01:43the things that you need to know about the British authorization.
01:46You apply for it online.
01:47It is valid for two years as for as many trips as needed as long as you do not exceed the
01:53six-month stay.
01:54It is not a visa, so it does not guarantee entry.
01:58And if you are from a country that requires a visa, you still need to get it and the EDA.
02:04People of all ages need it, including children.
02:06You should get an answer on the online app in three days, but the Home Office says that
02:11it generally takes about 10 minutes to get the okay.
02:14So what happens if you arrive at an airport, a train station, a ferry, and you don't have the EDA?
02:19Well, the UK border control says that they'll be a bit lenient, at least in the beginning.
02:27There is a buffer period, if you want to call it that, a period where we won't necessarily
02:31be enforcing the ETA.
02:33So people will still be able to get on planes and trains while this introductory period
02:37takes place.
02:38But I believe in September or October, we will start enforcing the ETA.
02:43And in those circumstances, the individual wouldn't be able to get on the plane, wouldn't
02:47be able to get on the train in order to travel the UK.
02:50So Solange, how much is this going to cost us?
02:52And is this a way for the British money to, British government to make some money?
02:56Well, not necessarily, or not, not entirely.
03:00The UK border control says that they are doing this for security reasons, to tighten the
03:04British borders and check if people, check if people are entering, if they have criminal
03:08records, if they've been denied before, and to simply track who is coming into the UK.
03:13They also say that the scheme will allow for faster transit times, help transitioning,
03:19and it will help transition to automated control systems or e-gates.
03:24As for the cost, the ETA is £10, or about €12.
03:27But as of April 9th, so quite soon, it's going to be up to £16, or €19.
03:33It is also attached to one's passport.
03:35So if you get a new passport, you have to reapply and pay the fee again, even if the
03:40two-year period is not up.
03:42Now, millions of these ETAs will be issued every year, but the border control insists
03:47that it isn't for money-making purposes.
03:50Rather, they say it's to lighten the tax burden of border checks and digital immigration systems.
03:55Compared to other countries, the price of the UK's ETA is pretty much on par with the
04:00American ESTA, which is $21.
04:03But the £16 is a lot more, say, than Canada's one, which is $7, or the future EU one, which
04:09is expected to be €7.
04:10€7?
04:11That's cheap.
04:12We'll see.
04:13It's not rolled out yet.
04:14I know.
04:15At the end of next year.
04:16Now, many airlines have expressed concerns about these new rules going into effect.
04:19Do they expect a drop in tourism numbers?
04:22Well, it's really too early to know the effects that this ETA will have on tourism in the UK.
04:27But studies have repeatedly shown that visas in such schemes, and especially passport requirements,
04:32they do have a contracting or a shrinking effect on tourism.
04:36Not only because of the cost, but also because of the hassle.
04:39British airports, actually, they successfully lobbied for people that are in transit through
04:44Heathrow and Manchester airports to not have to use these and get these ETAs.
04:48That is big, because 84 million people travelled through Heathrow last year, and a third of
04:54them were from Europe.
04:55However, if those travellers do enter the United Kingdom outside of the airport and
05:00aren't just transferring flights, they will need to get an ETA.
05:04So on the one hand, you have these tightening of controls for security and financial reasons.
05:09But at the same time, you have tourism and travel industries pushing back and trying
05:13to get more people to travel.
05:15Now, Solange, there are a number of new travel routes being set up between this year and
05:21next between the UK and the EU.
05:24Tell us more.
05:25Yeah.
05:26Be it by plane or train or even by boat, there are every year a number of route changes.
05:30There are, for example, multiple new flights to the southwest of France, but also to other
05:34regions.
05:35The list is too long to go through here.
05:36But I thought I wanted to end this by telling you about one route that's getting people
05:41pretty excited.
05:42It's called the Project Brave, and it's a boat route from France to Scotland.
05:47And the idea was actually floated in 2022, but there wasn't enough funding.
05:51Now Project Brave is back, and it could connect potentially the port of Rossyth near Edinburgh
05:57to Dunkirk, France, sometime this year.
06:00There is one itty-bitty downer, though, to this more eco-friendly route, which is that
06:05it takes 20 hours or so for the crossing.
06:09And such new schemes like Project Brave, new flight routes, expanding Heathrow's airport
06:14may or may not help counterbalance the pressures that the British tourism industry is facing.
06:21And not only is there this new ETA authorization, but inflation and especially inflation and
06:26also the aftershocks of Brexit, they have affected the sector.
06:29With 38 million visitors in 2023, it still is not back to pre-COVID figures, whereas
06:34places like France, Italy, Spain, well, they have been seeing a record number of visitors.
06:39France, for example, had 98 million visitors in 2023 and over 100 million last year, making
06:45it again, once again, the most visited country in the world.
06:5020 hours, not so bad, if you have a nice cabin to sleep in.
06:52True, true.
06:53A cabin could be nice.
06:55Exactly.
06:56Thank you very much.
06:57Thank you very much for that.
06:58So long as we're all there.