Brexit is official. With the united Kingdom voting to leave European Union, travel to both the regions is going to see some changes in the coming months. Here’s what you need to know about Brexit’s effect on travel, especially for Indians.
Pros –
Better exchange rate
Already, the pound has fallen to levels last seen in 1985 – when I was born incidentally. This means the pound won’t pound your budget – at least in terms of exchange rates. Last year, I got an exchange rate of Rs 101 to the pound. Today, it’s Rs 92. Even if the pound doesn’t stay so low forever, you will definitely get good rates over the coming months.
Possible easier visas
One big sector to feel the impact of Brexit would be tourism. With declining European tourists in the offing, it might just become easier for Indians to score a short-term visa more easily. This claim is not backed by any facts at the moment but it just sounds logical to me. We’ll have to see how this one pans out.
Lesser crowds
Related to the tourism point, you can finally get to London Eye without standing in a queue that snakes forever during peak hours. Not such a bad thing to deal with I reckon.
What are the pros and cons of #Brexit? Let’s discuss this
Cons –
Travel to Europe will be restricted
Of course, your grand Euro tour plans will take a bit of a beating. While visas for EU and UK are still different, ease of access will now be an additional burden. Instead of feeding off each other, the two regions will work independently off each other. It might be a better idea to visit UK separately than add it to your Europe itinerary at the moment.
Travel within UK and Ireland will change
Last year, I went to Ireland on a UK visa. Ireland is an EU member so it’ll be interesting to see if the border-free travel between the two countries continues in the coming months or not. It’s also worth noting what’ll happen to Northern Ireland, a part of UK. A UK visa will allow you to visit Belfast but going all the way to Dublin will require you to have a Schengen visa from Ireland.
More expensive
The free movement of goods between the UK and EU meant that services were competitive in both regions. However, with Brexit goods will be taxed at a higher rate leading to your trip becoming more expensive. In effect, your lower exchange rate will come to naught as goods and services get more expensive in UK.
Conclusion –
While these are early days and a complete Brexit is over a couple of years away, the impact on travelers is already clear. A favourable exchange and easier visas are good things to look forward to but overall #Brexit seems to have more cons than pros. How things pan out in the days ahead will be worth watching.
In the meantime, God save the Queen and United Kingdom.
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