£1billion in cancelled trips this summer.Thousands of Brits will be forced to abandon dream holidays abroad because of huge delays in their travel documents arriving.Fraught passengers are playing Russian roulette with getaways and have just a 50% probability of a “successful and timely” passport renewal process, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research.Home Office minister Kevin Foster warned holidaymakers to submit passport applications as soon as possible.He said: “We’d advise people this is a virtually unprecedented surge in demand.”But the chaos means the UK economy will rake in millions. VisitBritain research showed 21million adults are planning an overnight UK-based trip between July and September, which amounts to a £5.7billion spending boost.And campsite bookings are up 40% on last year, camping website Pitchup.com said.The firm’s founder Dan Yates said: “With the cost-of-living crisis and the environmental crisis weighing on people’s minds, domestic camping and glamping provides a cheaper and lower impact option.”The number of valid UK passports fell by over 2.5 million in the first two years of the pandemic.The Passport Office is advising travellers to apply at least 10 weeks in advance.
