Brexit Boost For UK Holiday Island

Leaving the EU is having a positive impact on holiday island the Isle of Wight, according to Wight Coast Holidays who are the island's leading provider of self catering holidays.

Estimates vary but the company have seen a rise in holidays by over 20% for Isle of Wight holiday rentals in 2019 compared to 2018.

According to a spokesman from their office in Bembridge they have received multiple bookings from holidaymakers who normally visit Spain, France and Portugal worried about possible delays at airports after the UK leaves the EU - and the prospect of queueing for their flights with children in tow for hours on end has led to them considering the Isle of Wight in 2019, with some visiting for the first time in a few years.

'Typically the people booking their trip tell us they have great memories of previous visits but had been tempted away by villa holiday rentals on the Algarve, Costa Blanca and Tenerife for example' explained the spokesman 'and Brexit has led them to look at Isle of Wight holiday rentals again and rekindle their fond memories of villages and towns like Bembridge, Seaview, Cowes, Shanklin and Sandown.'
In addition to tourists revisiting, the island is set to welcome first time visitors as well as those who have the Isle of Wight as their first choice for annual holidays.

The United Kingdom European membership referendum was held in June 2016 with the majority of voters voting to leave the EU and since then there have been attempts to secure a trade deal with the EU which has so far failed and the UK is poised to leave the EU on 29th March this year. If no deal can be finalised the UK will be using the World Trade Organisation (often referred to as simply WTO) rules.
As well as trade it's likely that Britons wanting to travel to the EU will need a visa. Although the visa will be inexpensive the uncertainty surrounding flights to Spain for example and how long people might have to queue to get through passport control is inflkuencing people's decisions about holidays in Spain for the moment at least.

For many in the UK the Isle of Wight ferry crossing separates them from a staycation on the mainland, and the crossing takes less than an hour with Red Funnel from Southampton and Wightlink from Portsmouth Harbour and Lymington.

While it's likely that other UK destinations will experience a holiday industry boost in Devon and Cornwall for example, the fact that to get to the Isle of Wight involves a ferry crossing for those used to going abroad could mean the island will benefit more from the uncertainty over Brexit.

Top attractions on the island include Carisbrooke Castle and Osborne House but for family holidays the beaches of Bembridge, Seaview, Sandown and Shanklin could mean tourists will return again in future years with a positive impact on the tourist industry, which is a major player in the island's economy.
What will happen after Brexit remains to be seen, but for now Wight Coast Holidays are viewing the uncertainty and chaos that is causing many people to worry about the future of the country as a positive development, as the number of Isle of Wight self catering holidays rise in 2019 and possibly for 2020 as well.