The UK is soon set to introduce the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which will apply to visitors from destinations including Europe, Australia, the US and Canada.

It requires tourists to gain permission to enter the country as part of plans to fully digitise its borders by 2025.

The system is scheduled to be in place for all required nationalities from 2 April 2025, with some having to comply by January.

However, industry leaders are urging the British government to delay the introduction of the ETA, particularly as it might come into force at the same time as the much-delayed EU Entry/Exit System (EES).

“We’ve asked can we not have two systems introduced at once,” Eurostar’s general secretary and chief strategic partnerships officer Gareth Williams told the Lords’ Justice and Home Affairs Committee last week.

‘Uncertainly’ over introduction of EES affecting ETA

Williams acknowledged that it is “difficult for the Home Office to make plans amid this uncertainty”, referring to the introduction of the EES.

The launch date for the system was set as 10 November, but the EU confirmed earlier this month that the introduction would be delayed.

There is now no official date for the launch, but it is unlikely to come into force before 2025.

“We’re seeing a huge amount introduced at the border – interactive AI, the ETA, EES, and [next year] the European Travel Information and Authorisation System[[ETIAS],” Williams said.

“Our concern is the systems don’t join up. They ask for very similar information through different channels, and the more you require the same information, the less compliance you get.

“We’ve asked the UK and EU to take a step back.”

When will the ETA be introduced?

The UK has taken a phased approach to introducing the ETA.

The Home Office began rolling out the scheme last November for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

If the system is not delayed, it will open up to all other nationalities, except Europeans, this November and be required for entry from 8 January 2025.

Europeans, meanwhile, will be required to have an ETA for travel from 2 April 2025, with applications opening up in March.

How do I apply for the ETA and how much does it cost?

To receive the ETA, you will need to fill in an online application form. Most visitors will be able to apply using a mobile app with a swift decision on their application, according to the government.

You’ll need a valid biometric passport from an eligible country, travel details, an email address and a credit or debit card. You will also have to answer a set of suitability questions.

Like the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) in the US, a small fee is attached to the application process. This will be set at £10 (€11.66).

Travellers are advised to apply at least a few days before their planned journey and approval should be granted within 72 hours.

Booking websites have been busy looking at what travellers have done this year to see what travel trends will dominate in 2025.

While some holiday habits never seem to go out of fashion – like city breaks and summer sun – each year seems to bring a new craze and plenty of buzzwords to boot.

For 2025, holiday experts have listed ‘JOMO trips’ and detour destinations among their predictions.

Here’s what’s going to be big next year.

Solo male travel is on the rise

According to transport booking website Omio, we’ll be seeing an uptick in solo male travellers in 2025.

“From self-discovery to mental empowerment, independence to building confidence, there are lots of benefits to travelling alone,” the company says.

“Over the last few years, the trend has been heavily led by women, but we’re soon to see a surge in lone male voyagers with 30 per cent of men compared to 23 per cent of women planning a solo trip in 2025.”

Omio found male travellers are also planning big budget trips, with 28 per cent intending to spend over €2,400.

Detour destinations will be popular

Booking website Expedia predicts that next year, travellers will not only be visiting the tried-and-true tourist destinations – they will add detours.

The company has highlighted destinations near popular hotspots, making them ideal day trips.

Expedia’s trending detour destinations for 2025 based on an increase in searches include Reims as a detour from Paris, Brescia as a detour from Milan and Girona as a detour from Barcelona.

There will be a hotel restaurant renaissance

When booking hotels, travellers are not just making room reservations, they’re making dinner reservations too, according to booking site Hotels.com.

Hotels around the world have opened critically acclaimed restaurants with Michelin-starred chefs and rotating seasonal menus to attract guests.

Travellers are seeking standout hotel dining experiences; positive reviews about hotel restaurants, chefs and bars increased by 40 per cent year on year on Hotels.com.

Furthermore, nearly a third of British travellers say restaurant tables reserved exclusively for hotel guests would make them more likely to book, while 1 in 5 say room service from a famous hotel restaurant would be their top reason.

JOMO travel will beat FOMO

According to booking site Vrbo, 2025 will see travellers experience less fear of missing out (FOMO), instead embracing JOMO – the joy of missing out.

“JOMO travel means doing less on holiday to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and staying at cosy cabins or peaceful beach houses to boost relaxation and reconnection,” the company says.

Two-thirds of UK travellers say these types of trips reduce stress and anxiety, and nearly half say that it provides a sense of escape from daily responsibilities.

The best way to experience JOMO travel is from a charming beach house, secluded lakeside lodge or rustic countryside farmhouse.

The top holiday rental amenities JOMO travellers are seeking include tranquil gardens, pools, hot tubs and porches with a view.

Travellers will tick off their phenomena list

Vrbo survey data revealed that the Northern Lights are the top phenomenon British travellers want to see, followed by geological phenomena like volcanoes, geysers and hot springs.

Two-thirds of UK travellers say it’s important to stay in a place that offers prime viewing of these natural wonders, favouring private holiday homes in secluded or rural destinations.

According to Vrbo, the top natural phenomena that travellers will want a front-row seat to in 2025 include the ‘Black Sun’ starlings’ migration in Denmark’s Wadden Sea National Park, starling murmurations in the UK’s Somerset countryside and volcanoes, lava fields and black sand beaches in Iceland’s Reykjavík region.

European airlines have been cutting flights to China following the closure of Russian airspace.

Virgin Atlantic and SAS Scandinavian Airlines have pulled out of the country altogether this year. While a number of other companies – Finnair, British Airways, Lufthansa and LOT Polish Airlines – are “quietly quitting” Chinese destinations, according to aviation news site Skift.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU and UK swiftly imposed a blanket flight ban on Russian aircraft over their skies. Russia retaliated by closing its airspace, forcing European carriers to take longer routes to Asia.

Since fuel accounts for around 25 per cent of an airline’s operating costs, journeys to China have become significantly more costly as a result, making European companies review their numbers. Longer flights can also require more crew – further bumping up costs.

It’s not good news for Europeans as passport holders of 18 countries can now visit China visa-free.

Why are European airlines cutting flights to China?

In contrast to the fanfare that accompanies a new route opening, airlines have been keeping quiet about the significant drop in flights to China, Skift says.

Its analysis of Cirium Diio data reveals that Finnair has gone from operating 42 nonstop flights a week from Helskini to China in August 2019, to just three by August 2024 – as well as a daily service to Hong Kong.

Helsinki to Shanghai is now the only mainland route on offer from Finnair. The jump in flight times is a major reason why: rising from around 8 hours 30 minutes pre-war to 11 hours and 24 minutes now.

“Due to the closure of Russian airspace, flight times to our Asian destinations have increased by between 10 and 40 per cent, depending on the destination,” Christine Rovelli, Finnair’s Chief Revenue Officer, told Skift.

“We have successfully adapted to this situation and refocused our network, with more emphasis on westbound flying while maintaining a strong presence in our key Asian markets.”

Despite its particular proximity to Russia, the Finnish flag carrier is far from alone.

British Airways announced in August that it would suspend its London Heathrow to Beijing service, after regular flights there since 1980. Shanghai and Hong Kong are still on the timetable, but flights to the latter are dropping from twice daily to once a day from the end of October.

And Hong Kong flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 with 216 seats – a big downsize from the ‘super jumbo’ Airbus A380 with 469 seats that previously did the rounds.

German flag carrier Lufthansa has also said it is “reviewing the continuation” of its daily service from Frankfurt to Beijing. LOT Polish Airlines announced cuts earlier this month – including the cancellation of its Warsaw to Beijing service this winter.

Chinese airlines are increasing flights to Europe

Chinese airlines, on the other hand, are free to fly across Russia, so are not subject to the same costly detours as their European counterparts.

European executives, including Air France-KLM’s general manager for Greater China Wouter Vermeulen, have frequently bemoaned the “lack of a level playing field” for this reason.

This winter, China-based carriers will run 82 per cent of all flights between China and Europe, John Grant, chief analyst at the aviation intelligence company OAG told CNBC. That’s up from 56 per cent before the pandemic.

Around 18 new routes between China and Europe are coming online this season, Grant added, all from Chinese airlines. The expert’s verdict? “It’s madness – there is no real demand.”

Why else are European airlines dropping China?

It doesn’t simply boil down to the Russian airspace issue, however.

For one thing, some European carriers are adding capacity to other parts of Asia where they are also having to take more circuitous journeys. Finnair, for example, is increasing flights to Thailand.

Skift also points out that Australian national carrier Qantas cancelled its Sydney-Shanghai route during the summer, despite being unaffected by the Russian airspace ban. They revealed planes were often flying half-empty.

That suggests a more challenging market situation is at play. Strained economic relations between China and the West could be influencing European airline decisions, one expert told the news site.

More straightforwardly, demand is a major issue according to Grant. A slowdown in China’s economy appears to be limiting outbound travel, while international interest in visiting the Asian superpower has also taken a dip.

Only 17.25 million foreigners landed in China this year as of July, according to official figures. A steep drop from 49.1 million visitors in pre-pandemic 2019.

But most European airlines aren’t wanting to quit China completely; they’re clinging on to their ‘dot’ on the route map, ready for a rebound.