Further to our blog posts and advocacy to maintain long-standing agreements which allow EU students to use ID cards rather than passports for travel to the UK, known as the List Of Travellers, the UK Government is maintaining it's decision to remove the use of ID cards for EU visitors after 30th September 2021.
The impact of this on our sector puts us at further risk from vital recovery, as the youth, student and educational travel sector brings over £27 billion per annum to the UK economy. As pointed out by French and German travel trade associations, the income from school trips to the UK from these countries alone exceeds £4.2bn per annum.
Bookings for next year are falling whilst demand for countries which allow ID cards, such as Ireland and Denmark, is soaring. Whilst not all economic value is from school visits, this is often students’ introduction to the UK. The UK risks losing its place at the top of the educational tourism market with associated impact on jobs.
Our own home students too will lose these visits as an opportunity for cultural exchange.
Please sign and share this petition through your networks, including staff and associates so that we can press the Government to find a solution to this important issue: Sign and share here.