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The world is reeling as Britain votes to leave the European Union. As much as rank-and-file Britons may wish to turn the clock back to simpler, more comfortable times, there is no way to reverse history. The way to dissolution must be forged by moving forward. But how?
Now that the public has spoken and moved to tear apart the bonds that have tied Britain to the European Union, the actual work of untangling the many layers of connections will begin. For tour operators who have anything to do with travel to Britain, the changes will become part of their daily business.
"The people of Britain have made their decision and the onus is on us to respect their wishes," said Richard Krieger, president of IsramWorld. "Our office in London is monitoring the situation closely. We're confident that Brexit or otherwise, the United Kingdom would continue to be our closest ally in the years to come."
"The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) emphasizes that travel to, from and within the EU and UK will not be affected in the short term. The process set out by the Lisbon Treaty allows for a two year period of negotiation once the UK formally states its intention to leave the EU, and this period could even be extended by agreement of all the parties. During this period the legislation around travel and tourism will remain unchanged."
David Scowsill, president and CEO of the WTTC, said, "We are entering a period of market uncertainty which will undoubtedly put pressure on travel and tourism businesses, however we know that our sector is resilient and we expect business and leisure travel to hold up in the face of these challenges."
Meanwhile, tour operators -- no strangers to crisis and havoc -- return to the day-to-day business of operating tours, and addressing the concerns of their clients.
"The vote in the UK yesterday to exit the European Union will undoubtedly result in calls from prospective travelers," said Pamela Lasser, director of media relations for Abercrombie & Kent. "We are reassuring our guests that travel to, from and within the EU and UK has not been affected and that all programs are operating normally. There are no anticipated changes regarding visas or related travel requirements for US travellers at this time, however we will advise if any changes should occur.
"We expect an orderly transition over the next two years as specified in the Lisbon Treaty, although currency markets are likely to be volatile in the coming days and weeks. Europe offers good value with attractive savings on offer for summer and fall travel to Europe."
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