Returning to the 'land of the free'

For more than 500 days the ability to travel between the UK and the US has been

restricted despite the route being one of the most important for global trade.

It has been an integral part of so many business travel itineraries.

Its absence has been a source of economic, business and cultural frustration.

With over £200 billion in annual trade between our two countries, the US regularly tops the list of business travel destinations. Blocks on travel for almost two years have hurt our economy badly.

The BTA’S Business Travel Tracker, published in partnership with Travelogix, shows that in the last four months the closure of travel to the US has cost UK GDP around £8 billion.

So, it’s welcome news for British and US business that fully-vaccinated travellers will be able to enter the US once more.

The resumption of transatlantic travel has been coveted not only by the airlines that fly the Atlantic but also by the TMC community which makes those trips a reality and provides critical duty of care for travellers.

After some uncertainty about whether the Astra Zeneca vaccine would be accepted by the US authorities, the issue has been thankfully resolved.

The opening of travel to the US is another significant step on the road to recovery and follows last month’s significant and necessary reductions to the red list.

But make no mistake, the business travel sector still has a long road to travel before we return to any semblance of normality, especially when it comes to international trips.

The UK Government must work harder to align us with other nations by dropping the requirement for Day 2 testing.

As we've said before, consistent international protocols for entry are vital.

It is only when there is international reciprocity that we will see international business travel truly recover.

After many months of disruption, we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, but sadly we’re not there yet.