Even Reform UK supporters now back a youth mobility scheme with the EU, as a generation that had little say in the 2016 vote finds itself the most restricted by its consequences.
ABTA opened 2026 by setting out a regulatory agenda shaped by border reform, consumer rules and longer-term UK-EU travel issues. For travel businesses and passengers alike, the message was that operational change and policy change will keep moving together this year.
ABTA's reading of the Brexit White Paper was cautiously positive for the travel sector, but far from settled. The document reflected several industry priorities while still leaving important commercial and political questions open.