Britons ditching Spain after rival destination drops EU biometric requirement – UK Times

Corfu and Rhodes are racing past Benidorm and Marbella in summer holiday sales since Greece abolished biometric border checks for British visitors.

In mid-April, the government in Athens unilaterally decided to ignore the European Commission’s instructions on the EU entry-exit system.

The Advantage Travel Partnership, which has over 700 travel agency members, has revealed to The Independent that Greece has overtaken mainland Spain in new bookings for the summer from UK travellers.

Spain is typically the leading destination for British holidaymakers.

But the share of bookings for the Spain mainland dropped during the last two weeks of April from 8.7 per cent to 7 per cent.

Moving in the positive direction, Greece’s share increased from 7.7 per cent in mid-April to 9.8 per cent by the end of the month.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage, said: “We have seen a clear and consistent uplift in demand for the destination across our travel agent membership.

“This shift suggests that travellers are increasingly factoring in the potential for disruption at EU borders when making their holiday choices and are actively opting for destinations where the arrival experience is likely to be smoother and more predictable.

“It reinforces our long-standing position that the rollout of EES in its current form risks undermining confidence at a critical time when families are thinking of booking for the summer.

“While we welcome pragmatic decisions such as Greece’s to ease pressure during the peak summer period, a broader, coordinated pause across the EU remains essential. This would give authorities the necessary time to address operational challenges, ensure consistency across destinations, and ultimately protect the traveller experience

Even though there is no legal basis for the Greek move, Brussels has not so far acted to bring Athens into line. The European Commission insists the roll-out of the EU entry-exit system is going well in most locations.

Once the Canaries and Balearics are added, Spain remains well ahead of Greece in sales.

Read more: Simon Calder answers your EU entry-exit system questions