Predictions on: Post-Brexit regulations

Travel programmes will need to factor in upcoming Brexit regulations and new European legislation that will impact business travel

As Business Travel News Europe⁶ recently highlighted, business travellers in certain sectors are already being turned back from European countries for not meeting post-Brexit movement restrictions. And, while there’s still a year to go before Schengen countries introduce electronic travel authorisation in November 2023, Brexit regulations will be applied more rigorously. For example, UK nationals will require an ETIAS visa waiver⁷ for short stays in Europe from that date onwards.

“2023 will bring more changes for travel to Europe,” Stratford says. “In addition to the ETIAS visa waiver, the Spanish government is asking the EU to relax the 90-day out of 180-day rule⁸, as it’s causing business loss in their market. I think there will be a ground swell on this and we’ll work with the Business Travel Association to help push on issues like these, as it’s in everyone’s interest.”

Changes in EU legislation⁹will also impact business travel, adds Oliver, with the Multimodal Digital Mobility Services¹⁰ proposal due to be adopted by the European Commission in Q1 2023. This is part of the EU’s policy to “drive us to trains rather than aircraft” for cross-border travel within Europe. “We’re likely to see rail become increasingly important for business travel in Europe,” she says. “It already is in France (short-haul flights for trips that can be done in 2.5 hours or less by train are banned) and I think we’ll see that increasingly in Germany too. We’re already looking at how we bring comprehensive integration of rail bookings across Europe to our clients.”