Talking Points: “Brexit” and UK Travel (June 30, 2016)

Talking Points – UK and “Brexit”

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The following Talking Points can be used in conversations with the media and clients when discussing travel to the UK and the impact of “Brexit” (the UK’s vote to leave the European Union). (June 30, 2016)

1. After the UK’s vote to leave the European Union (EU), the U.S. dollar soared to a 30-year high against the British pound – meaning travel, to London and throughout the UK, is suddenly much less expensive for Americans.

2. In the short-term, there will be no changes to travel to, from or through the UK and other European countries.

3. We are here to assist our clients and provide the facts, so our clients can make informed decisions about their travel plans.

Below you will find additional information, supporting material and statistics to help further illustrate each talking point.

1. After the UK’s vote to leave the European Union (EU), the U.S. dollar soared to a 30-year high against the British pound – meaning travel, to London and throughout the UK, is suddenly much less expensive for Americans.

 Immediately after UK citizens voted to leave the EU, there was a significant drop in the value of the British pound versus the U.S. dollar.

 This major shift in the value of currency is a very positive outcome for both American leisure and business travelers.

 According to The New York Times, “The most immediate effect is in the exchange rates between the dollar and the British pound, which has recorded its lowest rate in about 30 years after the results of the vote were published, providing American travelers a discount on prices paid throughout Britain.”

 As Josh Zumbrun, a national economics correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, wrote: “All Travel to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 10% Off.”

o “After the vote, the pound fell to the lowest levels of a generation. Not since 1985 has the U.S. dollar been so valuable in the U.K.: it’s the equivalent of a 10% off sale. (There’s also a 2% off sale to Europe, as the euro got weaker on the news.) If you’d like to use your tourism dollars to boost/boycott regions based on how they voted, here’s a helpful map of the outcome by region.”

 NBC News states, “Wherever the pound settles, U.S. visitors to the United Kingdom — for now, anyway — will get a lot more for their travel dollars, especially in London, a traditionally expensive city for visitors.”

2. In the short-term, there will be no changes to travel to, from or through the UK and other European countries.

 Because there is still much to be decided on how and when the UK will leave the EU, there will be no changes in customs and border control in the near future.

 

 According to NBC News, “The United Kingdom may not officially leave the European Union for at least two years, so for now, many travel plans and strategies, such as using London as a travel hub, can stay the same.”

 The New York Times reports that “Americans must still present a valid passport when entering European Union-member countries as well as Britain. When the dust settles and Britain is extracted from the European Union, which most believe will take some years, it is travelers from European and U.K. countries who may experience more hassles at foreign borders.”

3. We are here to assist our clients and provide the facts, so our clients can make informed decisions about their travel plans.

 We closely monitor the latest news and weather updates, as well as the U.S. State Department website, for travel alerts and travel warnings for all destinations, including those that are most popular with our clients.

 Should we become aware important developments for a specific destination, we alert clients – those who are already scheduled to travel and those who may be wishing to travel.

 We believe in providing the facts as we know them to our clients so they may make informed decisions regarding every aspect of their travel plans.

 It’s in situations like these, where there is a lot of information – and potential misinformation – about a particular destinations, the traveling public understands how it pays to have someone serving as their advocate.

 We are advocates for our clients; and they know that by working with a true travel professional, we are there for them before, during, and after their trip should they need us – which gives them peace of mind.