Today (21st February) the Prime Minister is due to make an announcement, believed to be to set a date to scrap all remaining Covid legal restrictions in England and it is expected that he will also remove remaining travel restrictions.
In advance of the announcement, Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of the UK’s largest network of independent travel agents, The Advantage Travel Partnership commented:
“Any relaxation in restrictions that are currently prohibitive to travel are of course very welcome but let nobody be fooled into thinking the travel industry is suddenly fixed.”
“The travel industry is seriously damaged, in debt and in many cases in trouble, struggling to survive. The travel industry was probably the only sector during the pandemic that had to keep its staff working managing rebookings and cancellations, despite no income and is now the only sector that still cannot trade fully.” She continued,
“After two of the hardest years on record for the outbound travel industry it is a long way from being back to normal. Even with the UK dropping restrictions we cannot control what’s happening at the destination. There is still a labyrinth of restrictions and complexity to navigate through, in order to arrange travel, and a minefield of confusing regulations, depending on destination, regarding test requirements, quarantine and evidence of vaccination. Much of Asia, for example, is still operating a seven-day quarantine on arrival, regardless of vaccination or tests.”
“Our job is to enable travel for everyone but yet we still can’t trade as normal. February half term, for example, is usually one of our peaks, with families ready to shake off the winter blues with a break skiing or in the sun. Despite the euphoria of restrictions easing, this year our members report bookings are 36% down on 2019.”
“The travel industry cannot be swept under the carpet and forgotten. The outbound travel sector was the first industry to be effected and it is now the last to recover and therefore, continued government engagement with industry is paramount. We must use our influence to drive international harmonisation and in turn, enabling the world to travel once more, thus driving economic and social prosperity.”
