Why Brits are ditching Spain this summer – and where they are going instead

WorldTravel
7 May 2026 • 2:36 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Why Brits are ditching Spain this summer – and where they are going instead

  • Greece has seen a surge in summer holiday bookings from British visitors after unilaterally abolishing biometric border checks in mid-April, defying European Commission instructions.
  • The Advantage Travel Partnership reported that Greece has surpassed mainland Spain in new bookings from UK travellers for the summer period.
  • Mainland Spain's share of bookings dropped from 8.7 per cent to 7 per cent in the last two weeks of April, while Greece's share rose from 7.7 per cent to 9.8 per cent.
  • Julia Lo Bue-Said, Advantage's chief executive, stated that travellers are choosing destinations with smoother and more predictable arrival experiences, influenced by potential disruptions from the EU entry-exit system (EES).
  • Despite Greece's move lacking legal basis, Brussels has not yet acted, though the European Commission maintains the EES rollout is progressing well elsewhere.

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