ABTA – The Travel Association estimates that over two million British holidaymakers are set to head overseas over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend of 3-6 April, with today, Good Friday and Easter Sunday the busiest days for travel. ABTA, which held its annual convention in Magalluf last October, 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 holiday and others heading away.
Travel this Easter will look a bit different compared to previous years, with the conflict in the Middle East affecting where people can travel, with many people changing their plans and holidaying in Europe instead. 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.
The Association says that those travelling 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. Travellers 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.
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 holiday has been affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re encouraging everyone who is travelling over this period to take some time to check their arrangements before setting off, including recognising 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 travelling to Europe you may need to go through EES checks both when arriving and leaving your destination.”