ABTA has urged the UK government to regularly review the 14-day quarantine measures for people arriving into the UK and look at its effectiveness.
An ABTA spokesperson said: “Protecting public health is a priority and it’s vital to base decisions about travel on the best health and scientific advice. No-one should be in any doubt, however, that a 14-day quarantine period for all travellers returning to the UK will unavoidably put many people off travelling abroad or visiting the UK, and will therefore have a hugely damaging impact on the UK inbound and outbound tourism industries – which support hundreds of thousands of jobs in this country and have already been severely affected by the pandemic.
“It’s therefore critical that the Government regularly reviews this policy – including assessing its effectiveness and how it works with other control measures. We’d also continue to urge the Government to keep any measures proportionate, targeted and limited only to what is necessary and to seek a coordinated approach with destinations in the EU and beyond.
“In addition, as we enter the recovery phase it is critically important that both businesses and travellers are given clear and consistent guidance and messaging in relation to travel and tourism. This will be vital to support consumer confidence in future travel plans.”
