Groups from the continent are going elsewhere, tour operators say, deterred more by passport and visa rules than the pandemic.

 

Post-Brexit changes to Britain’s immigration rules have triggered an unprecedented collapse in bookings for school trips from the continent, organisers say, with countries such as Ireland and the Netherlands now more popular than the UK.

While the pandemic has depressed European school travel in general, the number of short-stay educational visits planned in 2022 to alternative EU destinations where English is widely spoken is significantly higher than inquiries for UK visits.

Operators say that while Britain’s day two Covid test requirement is a factor, by far the most significant is the UK’s decision not to accept EU group passports or identity cards from 1 October, instead requiring full passports – plus expensive individual visas for non-EU pupils.

 

The British government has said the collapse is because of the pandemic and that the measures are needed “to strengthen the security of our border”, but critics say they are unnecessary for under-18s on short, organised trips with teachers.

They argue the slump will deprive UK host families, hostels and attractions of valuable income, and also inflict longer-term damage since school trips can prove formative experiences, promoting intercultural exchange and forging greater mutual understanding.

Eurovoyages, a big French school trips operator, said that as of last month it had received 53 requests for short-stay visits to Ireland next year, as well as others for the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

“We have received precisely two requests for the UK, one of which has already changed its mind and decided to visit Ireland,” said Monique Tissot Martel, the company’s general manager. “Schools have forgotten the UK was a destination.”

 

This article was first published on The Guardian website on 26th December. You can read the article in full here.