In a stinging rebuke on the third anniversary of the UK formally leaving the EU, Lo Bue-Said said Brexit was yet to deliver any tangible benefits for UK travellers, with any potential benefits still either a long way down the line, or unlikely to make up for other negative implications.
"There can be no denying Brexit has had a major impact on travel to and from the EU, and while we have seen many of the consequences played out on our screens, much of the disruption has been masked by the pandemic," said Lo Bue-Said.
"What we do know is that three years later, our ability to travel frictionlessly has been taken away. Brexit has delivered no evidence of benefit for travellers.
"We’ve seen long queues at airports and the issues relating to the validity of passports has resulted in British and European travellers having to spend an extortionate amount of money on passports and getting caught out on passport validity rules.
"Even the lovely passport stamps we now receive – travellers will soon find their passport pages fill quickly."
Lo Bue-Said there were myriad implications too for the UK’s inbound and hospitality sectors. "The hospitality industry, which has always relied heavily on skilled labour from EU countries, has been greatly affected by staff shortages, which is being further compounded by fears that that rising costs in the UK could deter tourists from visiting Britain," she continued.
Searching for positives, Lo Bue-Said added: "The one opportunity I believe [the] UK government needs to focus its attention on is ensuring we use the opportunity to reduce the web of complex consumer and financial protection regulation that has been borne out of Brexit."
