The long-promised dividends of Brexit are evaporating for British families and businesses alike as the introduction of a new EU border system triggers fears of a £500m blow to the summer holiday season. The Entry/Exit System (EES), set to launch this autumn, will require non-EU travellers including Britons to register biometric data at ports and airports. Travel industry leaders warn that queues could stretch for hours, deterring holidaymakers and costing the UK economy half a billion pounds in lost spending.
For Sarah Jenkins, a mother of two from Manchester planning a trip to Spain in August, the news adds to a growing list of post-Brexit headaches. “We saved all year for this holiday,” she said. “Now I’m worried we’ll spend half of it stuck at the border.” Her concerns are echoed by thousands of working families who have seen holiday costs rise since the Brexit vote. Sterling’s slide has made euros more expensive, while new customs checks have driven up prices for imported goods.
The travel industry, which employs over 1.7 million people in the UK, is bracing for impact. ABTA, the trade body, warns that the EES could be the ‘final straw’ for struggling travel firms. “This is not just about queue times. It is about the competitiveness of British tourism,” said ABTA’s head of public affairs. “We are already seeing a shift in destinations: families are choosing non-EU spots to avoid the hassle.”
The government maintains that the EES is an EU system and that the UK has secured a ‘light touch’ for British travellers. But representatives from Dover, Eurostar, and the Port of Hull have raised alarms over inadequate preparations. At Dover, where 2.5 million Britons cross each year, traffic could tailback for miles. For workers in low-paid jobs, any delay means lost earnings. For the self-employed, it is a day without income.
The £500m figure comes from a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, which estimates lost consumer spending, cancelled bookings, and reduced airline capacity. It is a stark contrast to the ‘sunlit uplands’ promised by Brexiteers. The Office for Budget Responsibility earlier this year calculated that Brexit will ultimately cost the UK economy 4% of GDP. For households already squeezed by rising food and energy costs, this feels like an extra tax on a getaway.
Meanwhile, the government’s own ‘Brexit dividends’ have failed to materialise. The promised trade deals with the US and Australia have not offset the loss of frictionless EU trade. Manufacturing output has fallen, and food inflation remains high due to border frictions. For Sarah Jenkins, the choice is stark: cancel her holiday or endure a new layer of bureaucracy. “We’ll probably just go to Blackpool,” she said. “It’s not the same, but at least we won’t need a passport check for a deckchair.”
The EES is not a conspiracy against Britain. It is a standard security measure for any non-EU traveller. But for a nation that voted for sovereignty, the result is more queuing and less spending power. The travel industry is now lobbying for a grace period, but Brussels has been clear: the system will go ahead. As the summer holidays approach, families like Sarah’s are left counting the cost of a Brexit that was meant to set them free.
