Holidaymakers 'less likely' to head to Spain and France after new October rule kicks in

Keen travellers could be warded off heading to their favourite holiday hotspots in mainland Europe in a few months' time, when new rules surrounding border checks are set to come in.

A new survey carried out by the Department of Transport revealed that the most common worry about the upcoming Entry/Exit System (EES), and the queues that it could result in.

Of the 1,584 people aged 16 and over that were included in the research, 20 percent said they would cancel a trip to the region if they knew there was going to be a queue of an hour or more.

It's expected that the EES will come into force on October 6 this year in a bid to improve security at the borders, Wales Online reports.

Travellers from non-EU countries, such as the UK, will need to have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken to register them on a database the first time they enter a member state, with the data stored for three years.

But there are worries that this will result in excessive queues where French border checks are carried out, such as St Pancras Station in London and the Port of Dover.

Phil Smith, UK coach manager at trade body the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: “It is vital – for coach passengers and the sustainability of coach travel to Europe – that UK ports make sure that systems are in place so that the EU’s new Entry and Exit system does not cause long delays when it comes into force in October.

“UK coach companies travelling to Europe generate significant amounts of revenue for the UK economy and for the countries to which people travel by coach – more than £14 billion every year from around 23 million individual coach trips. “That is why CPT has worked hard with port authorities at UK ports like Dover or Folkstone to ensure there will be swift and efficient passport checks so that a full coach of 50 passengers will complete this process without delay."

Phil continued: "It is also important that other traffic does not experience delays too because coaches share road space, so efforts to prevent congestion in and around our Channel ports will be essential too.”

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said: “Safety and security are of course paramount, but it is crucial that the Government and the travel industry work together to make sure that Brits have a thorough understanding of the new system, when they come into effect and how they will impact travel.

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