Latest news with #UKtourism
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Spain delivers ANOTHER blow to British holidaymakers by blocking cheap data roaming in Europe as part of Brexit reset deal - following latest wave of anti-tourist protests
British holidaymakers have been delivered another blow as Spain and Italy block cheap data roaming for UK tourists despite Brexit reset talks with the European Union. Millions of Brits visit Spain and Italy every year, with UK tourism significantly boosting the country's local economy. But the southern European nations have delivered a new blow to British visitors after they thwarted a call by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to scrap roaming charges for UK holidaymakers. The move from the southern European states comes as Britain and the EU sealed a 'Brexit reset' deal on Monday aimed at bringing down food prices and reviving exports. After the EU ditched roaming charges for European tourists in 2016, the UK government had estimated British travellers would save £1.4 billion a year. But since Brexit, most British providers now charge their customers extra for roaming bundles so that they can use mobile data while travelling abroad. The rejection on roaming charges for UK tourists comes as Spain braces for a summer of even bigger anti-tourism protests, after the country was rocked by massive demonstrations last year. Anti-tourism campaigners have long been contesting the current tourism model, claiming that many locals have been priced out by holidaymakers, expats and foreign buyers. Last year, Spain saw a record-breaking number of tourists, with over 15 million visitors flocking to the island of Mallorca alone. In response, protestors took to the streets across Spain, leaving countless visitors fuming after paying hundreds of pounds to enjoy their holidays abroad. Actions included marches on the street with protesters chanting 'tourists go home', as well as demonstrations on beaches which saw locals boo and jeer at sun-soaked tourists. In one particular instance, up to 50,000 locals descended onto the streets of the Mallorca capital Palma. Meanwhile in Barcelona, some 2,800 people marched along a waterfront district of Barcelona to demand a new economic model that would reduce the millions of tourists that visit every year. Protesters carried signs reading 'Barcelona is not for sale,' and, 'Tourists go home,' before some used water guns on tourists eating outdoors at restaurants in popular tourist hotspots. Last month, anti-tourism campaigners issued a chilling warning to British holidaymakers after they threatened to unleash more chaos. Over the weekend, thousands of fed-up locals kicked off demonstrations across the Canary Islands. Spain was rocked by anti-tourism protests last summer, which saw tens of thousands of fed up locals filling streets across the country Holidaymakers were forced to cower in hotels on Sunday as anti-tourist protests stormed the streets of the Canary Islands, disrupting bliss for the thousands of Brits abroad. Demonstrators marched with the slogan 'Canarias tiene un limite' (The Canaries has a limit, while slogan were chanted such as: 'El dinero del turismo, donde está?', meaning 'The money from tourism, where is it?' One placard read: 'Stop excessive tourism… this is our home,' while another said: 'My misery is your paradise'. A banner declared the Canary Islands 'is no longer a paradise' thanks to tourism. Another sign was inscribed with the words: 'tourists swim in s**t', referencing the large amount of sewage water that is dumped into the sea - the majority of it, activists say, coming from hotels and tourist accommodations. Other placards in Spanish said: 'Don't sell your homes to guiris!' Guiri is a Spanish slang word for British and other tourists. Demonstrators could also be heard shouting 'Canarias No Se Vende', meaning 'The Canary Islands Are Not For Sale,' while the blew whistles and proudly held Canary Island flags in the sky. Last month, locals also took to the streets in Barcelona, Valencia as well as Madrid. The PM's calls for cheaper roaming come after he declared 'Britain is back on the world stage' on Monday as he held a joint press conference with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at a summit in London. As part of the deal, European fishing boats will be guaranteed access to UK waters on the current terms for 12 years. Starmer has also signed the UK up to a 'youth experience' arrangement giving potentially millions of Europeans rights to live, study and work in the EU. Sir Keir stressed it would be 'capped and time limited', arguing the government's crackdown on immigration will not be compromised. In return, the deal would see checks on lorries taking food to the continent lifted permanently - ending the so-called 'sausage wars'. That is supposed to boost the economy by £9billion by 2040.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- The Sun
Major new airport rules to make travelling to Europe MUCH easier – what Starmer's new Brexit deal means for your holiday
BRITS heading to Europe could soon find it much easier thanks to new plans allowing holidaymakers to use airport e-gates. Since the UK left the EU, British tourists have faced huge queues at the airport across Europe after being forced to use the standard passport gates. 3 3 However, the UK government has revealed plans of a deal that would allow UK holidaymakers to use the much faster e-gates when visiting Europe. The talks, part of the UK-EU summit taking place today, suggest Brits would join other EU tourists in the shorter queues, The Guardian reports. EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said he backed the potential rule change. He told Sky News: "I would love to see you being able to go through the border more quickly in that way. "That's certainly something we've been pushing with the EU and I think that will be something that will be very helpful to British people. "I think we can all agree that not being stuck in queues and having more time to spend, whether it's on holiday or work trips, having more time to do what you want, would be a very sensible objective." Plans to allow Brits to use e-gates in European countries were put forward back in 2023 by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak although never came into fruition. Last summer, some Brits even missed their flights when travelling through Spain due to long passport queues while waiting to get them stamped. Another Brit wrote on Tripadvisor: "My lunchtime arrival at Oslo left me with an hour and a half wait to get through manual passport control." Another agreed: "The queue was horrendous, people couldn't even get into the passport hall. Took just over 90 minutes to get through." UK airport reveals new security rules for passengers However, the new rules could cause problems with passport stamping, which is still required from Brits entering and exiting Europe. This is because of the new rules which only allow Brits to visit for 90 days in an 180 day period. Anyone without an outgoing stamp could be mistakenly seen to have overstayed in Europe and even be banned from entering - which happened to a British tourist in Majorca back in 2022. But it comes ahead of the c onstantly-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) which will scrap the need for passport stamping entirely. First announced in 2016, it finally hopes to be rolled out from October this year. Instead of manual passport stamping, new biometric checks will take place instead. What would the new rules mean for British holidaymakers? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot weighs in. WHATEVER your views on the latest deal with the EU, there's no doubt having access to e-gates in European airports can only be a good thing. Since Brexit, British travellers have had to queue up and have their passports checked - and stamped - by customs officers. This has led to lengthy queues - particularly at peak travel times like the school holidays. So a return to being able to use the e-Gates at EU airports can only be a good thing. But - and it's a big BUT - we still will have to provide biometric details, a scan of our eyes and fingerprints, on our first visit to the EU once the new European Entry Exit System comes into force. The much delayed new system - first announced in 2016 - is due to be rolled out from November this year. So there is still the potential for significant disruption once that is brought in. But going forward the chance to once more glide through e-gates alongside our fellow EU travellers can only be a good thing! And next year will see the roll out of the ETIAS - a visa waiver that Brits will need to visit Europe. Costing around €7 and lasting three years, it will be similar to the current ESTA Brits need when visiting the US. 3
