Brexit threatens sports tour

Students may have to fork out more money to pay for beloved sports tour due to Brexit. But, are students willing to pay a higher price for a sports holiday?

The annual University tour is at risk of rising in price following Brexit, according to data from the People’s Vote Campaign. Analysis of Theresa May’s Chequers deal suggests that the price of April’s tour could rise by £190 on average, with phone roaming chargers and hotel costs likely to be biggest cause of the price hikes. With tickets already on sale for Kent students for the popular yearly trip to European destinations such as Croatia, Italy and Spain, potential price changes following a Brexit deal could potentially affect attendance, with around 50,000 students per year usually travelling to engage in sports and socialising during the Easter holiday. Sports Vice-President Emily Window said in response to the news: ‘I do think Brexit will have an impact on tour. Purely because at the moment it’s uncharted territory, it’s very much the unknown. Things like exchange rates will likely go up and it will have an impact on our economy which is so unfortunate for students.’ Roaming charges, which previously did not apply to EU residents, could rise to £61 once Britain leave the European Union, while a fall in the value of the pound could cause hotel prices to spike by £127 in places like Rome. Health insurance and flight prices are also expected to experience a surge in price in the event of Britain leaving the EU in March 2019 on the terms proposed by the Prime Minister.

Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson, co-founder of the anti-Brexit pressure group For our Future’s Sake, says: ‘Students are worried that post-Brexit, Sports Tour will become more expensive for them, or worse, become financially unsustainable altogether. Because of the uncertainty around Brexit, tour operators are concerned about their businesses and service they can provide for students.’ University Sports Students have been reacting to the news. Lacrosse player Becca Misevic, 20, told Inquire: ‘Money is already hard to find for students so if the price changed I think it would make a lot of people think twice about going. Tour is a great experience and if the price changed and people didn’t go because of that it would be a shame.’ Another lacrosse player, Lucy Hebden, 19, stated: ‘The price of tour is already a lot higher than what most students can realistically afford to pay easily. Any higher and I think people would stop going completely.’

Price change would most likely occur 2020, subject to post-EU agreements.