Holidays green light ... then the backlash
SUMMER holidays got the green light yesterday as Grant Shapps unveiled details of his ‘traffic light’ system for international travel.
But his announcement was met with a downbeat response from the travel industry.
The Transport Secretary scrapped his recent advice not to book foreign holidays, which could restart as soon as May 17. He said: ‘For the first time I think there is light at the end of the tunnel and we’ll be able to restart international travel, including cruises by the way, in a safe and secure way.
‘For the first time people can start to think about visiting loved ones abroad or perhaps a summer holiday, but we’re doing it very, very cautiously because we don’t want to see any return of coronavirus in this country.’
Jet2holidays announced it was axing all flights and holidays until June 23 over a ‘lack of clarity and detail’ in Mr Shapps’ blueprint.
Company chief Steve Heapy criticised the failure to give a date for the resumption of international travel, or provide any destinations to which quarantine-free travel may be possible from May, and slammed the expensive testing regime for arrivals from low-risk countries.
‘We have taken time to study the Global Travel Taskforce’s framework and we are extremely disappointed at the lack of clarity and detail,’ he said.
‘After several weeks exploring how to restart international travel, with substantial assistance and input from the industry, the framework lacks any rigorous detail about how to get international travel going again. In fact, the framework is virtually the same as six months ago.’
He said those who had booked a holiday with the firm before June 23 would get a full refund.
Brian Strutton, general secretary of the pilots’ union Balpa, said: ‘ This plan will keep the aviation industry on its knees. Ministers have said that the best form of support would be to get Britain flying again this summer. Today’s announcement simply won’t do that.’
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘Millions of people will be excited to know their next holiday abroad might not be too far off, but the current guidance leaves too many questions unanswered – so we would advise consumers to hold off on booking a holiday until the details become clearer.’
Mr Shapps’s report said ‘ further details’ about when holidays can resume again will be released by early May, potentially along with lists of countries designated either red, amber or green.
Under the system only travel to green destinations will be quarantine-free, with a two-test system for travellers. They will have to take one rapid lateral flow test within 72 hours of returning to the UK and present this to check-in staff. They will then have to take a second ‘ gold-standard’, lab-processed PCR test taken no more than two days after arrival. Amber destinations will require ten days’ self-isolation upon return, making holidays to these countries impractical for most. Travellers from red countries will have to quarantine in a hotel for 11 nights.
Countries will be ranked according to vaccination and infection levels and the prevalence of new variants.