PM takes ‘cautious’ approach to travel
A“CAUTIOUS” approach to the opening up of foreign travel this summer could boost staycations – and potentially the number of holidaymakers heading for the Westcountry.
Constraints and uncertainty which reduce the attraction of overseas breaks are likely to persuade some people to abandon plans to head abroad, as demand for Devon and Cornwall visits soars.
Boris Johnson says the approach to foreign travel this summer will be sensible, to avoid “an influx of disease”. The Prime Minister said there will be “some opening up” on May 17, but that things must be done in a way “to make sure that we don’t see the virus coming back in” to the UK and that “we have got to be very, very tough”. His cautious tone came as some MPs called for restrictions on foreign holidays to be maintained to protect the country from Covid-19 variants, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged a “careful” approach.
It comes as the European Commission proposed to ease restrictions on travel to countries in the bloc, amid progressing vaccination campaigns and lower infection rates.
Thomas Cook chief executive Alan French said: “When the holidays proper start at the end of June, we are expecting most of the countries that the UK goes on holiday to – Europe, particularly – to be open.”
Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, claimed the “best financial support the Government can now offer the travel sector is to open up overseas travel as planned from the 17th May”. A Government spokesperson said there are “robust border controls” in place and a traffic-light system based on country risk.
THE approach to foreign travel this summer will be sensible and cautious to avoid “an influx of disease”, Boris Johnson has said.
The Prime Minister said there will be “some opening up” on May 17, but that things must be done in a way “to make sure that we don’t see the virus coming back in” to the UK.
Mr Johnson’s cautious tone came as some MPs called for restrictions on foreign holidays to be maintained to protect the country from Covid-19 variants, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged a “careful” approach.
Mr Johnson told reporters during a campaign visit to Hartlepool: “We do want to do some opening up on May 17 but I don’t think that the people of this country want to see an influx of disease from anywhere else. I certainly don’t and we’ve got to be very, very tough, and we’ve got to be as cautious as we can, whilst we continue to open up.”
Asked if people should be planning foreign holidays, he told reporters: “We will be saying more as soon as we can.
“I think that there will be some openings up on May 17, but we’ve got to be cautious and we’ve got to be sensible and we’ve got to make sure that we don’t see the virus coming back in.”