Ask the experts
Have a burning question you can’t find the answer to? Send us your query for an expert response. This month, it’s over to Heather Pennock, destinations manager – health, safety, crisis & operations at ABTA
I saw a report in the press that in 2022 the European Union will be introducing more border checks on UK nationals, which will result in long queues at passport control. Could you tell me whether this is correct and, if so, what these checks will be?
One of the consequences of the UK leaving the European Union is that we are no longer entitled to freedom of movement throughout Europe. For tourism purposes UK citizens are allowed to visit the EU for 90 days in any 180 day period. In many destinations the way that this is currently enforced is by a border guard physically checking and stamping your passport. As part of a general improvement on checking the entry of non-EU nationals a new automated system will be introduced in the first half of 2022, called Entry/Exit System (EES).
EES is an automated IT system for registering travellers from non-EU countries, both short-stay visa holders and visa exempt travellers, each time they cross an EU external border. The system will register the person’s name, the type of travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit. The Commission says that it should “make a wider use of automated border control checks and self-service systems, which are quicker and more comfortable for the traveller”.
We are all used to using e-gates which have really helped cut down queues and speeded up customers’ journey times through the airport and the EES should be a further welcome addition to air travel. We understand however that there are still a number of challenges that are being worked on for travel through rail and ferry ports at present.
I hope this will help you to reassure customers if they have any concerns.
Meet the team
As she celebrates the fourth anniversary of her high street travel agency Arundel Travel, Helen Parry explains how she supports ABTA members on the Council of Regions
I’ve been on the Council of Regions for Yorkshire for about two years, but I’ve been in travel since I was 16 – I’m 42 now. I started on an apprenticeship at what became TUI, before working at Jet2 Holidays seven years ago. Four years ago I opened up our shop, which was a dream come true.
The past couple of years have been a challenge, but we’re still smiling. It’s shown how resilient we are. As travel agents, we’re here to help people – if people didn’t need us, we wouldn’t be here.
We’ve been positive throughout Covid because it’s nobody’s fault, we’ve all just had to make the best of the situation. We’ve had people coming to our shop for advice that never would have before, then coming back to book with us.
We’re openly available to take questions, concerns and feedback from ABTA members, whether tour operators or travel agents, in our region. And we will contact ABTA on their behalf, and share their feedback. I fly the flag for ABTA and make sure people know what benefits they get from being a member.
ABTA’s social media has been brilliant during the pandemic, putting a good spin on things and giving advice around testing and Brexit that we could share while we were drowning in paperwork. Then there’s the training, HR and legal advice, sustainability and mental health advice that you get when you’re a member.
We get customers asking if we’re with ABTA. I didn’t realise before, how many people recognise that symbol. It does make a difference to whether people book with you.
Brexit seems to have been forgotten about during the pandemic, and there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. Customers have been caught out with their passports not having six months left on them, getting to the airport and not being able to fly. So we’ve been dealing with those issues.
We’ve also had a lot of questions around destination advice – where’s safe to go. Everything about travelling at the moment is a little bit difficult and more awkward, so ABTA members might ask me to double check something, just to have a second pair of eyes reading things.
A big thing for me going forward is making sure people use all their ABTA membership benefits to their full potential.