New research from YouGov commissioned by eDreams ODIGEO has revealed that Brits are by and large in favour of visa-free travel post-Brexit. 

53% of respondents are against the idea of EU citizens having to pay for a visa to visit the UK after Brexit.

When asked about the implications that Brexit might have on their own future travel, 47% of respondents felt it was likely that UK travellers would need to pay for a visa to visit EU countries in the future.

If a fee-based visa system were to be introduced, 49% of respondents believed prices for EU travellers should be set at the same level that UK travellers would have to pay to visit the EU.

However, 34% of Brits believed that EU travellers shouldn’t have to pay to visit the UK even if UK travellers were required to pay a fee to visit the EU.

When asked their reasons for keeping visa costs low or free for EU tourists, 62% of those respondents stated this is because they want the UK to be a welcoming country, whilst 58% believed it was also beneficial to the UK economy. 56% also believed it would encourage good relations with other EU nations.

The research comes as the latest customer data from eDreams ODIGEO shows a strong upward trend in the number of travellers visiting the UK, in comparison to growth levels across the rest of Europe.

Compared to the same Easter holiday period in 2016, 2017 saw a 49% increase in the number of passengers flying to the UK for an Easter break with travellers from France, Germany and Spain making up two thirds of the trips.

Robert McNamara, head of UK and group external affairs for eDreams ODIGEO, said:

“As Europe’s biggest online travel agent, we see a growing number of customers taking advantage of low-cost air fares and bundled flight and hotel deals to enjoy multiple short-breaks throughout the year. This is good news for the UK because our cities are increasingly popular destinations for European travellers. Our research shows that Brits want to keep it this way by making sure that entry costs to the UK are kept as low as possible for EU citizens.”

Other key highlights from the research include:
Younger generations were more opposed to the introduction of a paid-visa for visitors to the UK with 62% stating that they don’t think a paid visa should ever be required compared to a population average of 53%.
Scots were equally against to the introduction of a paid for visa with 62% stating they wouldn’t support it.
However, Londoners were even more opposed – only 20% said they would support the introduction of a paid for visa programme.

By contrast, more than double this number would support a visa programme in the North East.