From ferry companies to travel agencies without flights, there is confusion and skepticism about the new plan.
After years of delay, it is expected that the Entry and Exit System (SES) of the EU comes into force this autumn.
British and other tourists from “third countries” will have to register your arrival and departure from EU countries and the Schengen area taking a photo and having your fingerprints taken at passport control. This will replace the manual passport stamp.
But many travelers still don’t know how this system and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), scheduled for mid-2025, will work.
‘Euronews Travel’ has spoken with travel agency and experts to find out what advice they give to their customers before the planned launch.
Travel agencies doubt the launch date of the SES
Several major travel agencies have told Euronews Travel that they have not yet received official questions or guidance on the SES regime.
However, the travel agency association ABTA has already published advice and recommendations for planning and booking a holiday with the new system.
Despite reports that the system will come into force on October 5, 2024, an ABTA spokesperson stressed that it is still The exact launch dates for both SES and ETIAS have not been confirmed.. This uncertainty has generated skepticism among some travel agencies.
“We are not giving any advice because we are waiting to see if the plan goes ahead,” says Noel Josephides, president of the British travel agency Sunvil.
Sunvil has only received one comment from a customer who declared himself “fed up” with the regulations and said he “would never travel to Europe again.”
Will the EES prevent travelers from traveling to Europe?
“The more bureaucracy, the worse for the freedom to travel,” says Josephides, who agrees that plans like the SES can discourage people from traveling to Europe.
He points out that the delays in launching the system, caused by the Olympics, are proof that it is expected to be detrimental to travelers.
“Whether they launch it when they launch it, it will be bad for tourism and will complicate travel; otherwise, France would have accepted its introduction before the Olympic Games this summer“.
He is not the only one concerned about the impact of at EEE in travelers. In April, P&O Ferries expressed concern about the iImplementation of the system in the port of Dover.
“The process SES was designed for foot passengers passing through an airportand is fundamentally unsuitable for a port environment,” wrote the company’s Director of European Operations, Jack Steer, in a letter to the British Parliament.
According to Steer, the current layout of the port makes it impossible to separate passenger traffic from freight traffic, so “serious disruptions” will be inevitable.
How will the SES affect transfers?
Los SES checks for flight passengers They will generally be completed upon arrival at your destination. But for ferry journeys from the port of Dover and international trains, they will take place when passing through passport control in the UK, ABTA explains. This is due to the double British-French border in these places.
Concerns about delays at the port are likely to have influenced the latest delay, which will give the Port of Dover time to implement new processing systems for cars and coaches. This will include kiosks and waiting areas located outside the port itself to reduce queues at the border.
Application to streamline the registration process is not expected to be ready in time for the fallso travel delays are likely.
ADVERTISING“The SES is an EU initiative, but the British Government is working closely with the European Commission, its Member States, UK local authorities and industry to minimize any disruption to citizens’ travel plans,” he explains. to ‘Euronews Travel’ a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation British (DfT).
“This includes working closely with ports, carriers and the travel industry to ensure they are supported and equipped to communicate the changes and any potential impact they may have on people’s journeys.”
How will the SES affect international trains?
Eurostar is expanding its London base at St Pancras station to install more kiosks that process SES data.
Since train tickets are usually cheaper in advancepassengers are already wondering how SES will affect their trips.
The travel company without flights Byway has already received questions from its clients about when the system will be implemented, whether they will need visas and what documentation will be necessary.
ADVERTISING“Planning a trip without flights can be quite complex anyway,” explains Cat Jones, CEO and founder of Byway. “Many of these systems tend to be built with air travel in mind, which can make it difficult to find information specific to train travel.”
One customer has already said they will book with the company again because they want help navigating the new system.
Due to the ignorance of british citizens about the functioning of SES and ETIAS, it is likely that many trust travel agencies to guide them when the systems finally come into force.
