The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
All toing and froing and going nowhere
● Travel body hits out at ‘continual change’ to safe list
Scottish ministers have been accused of “playing games” with the country’s travel industry with “half-announcements and teasers” of changes to the list of quarantined countries.
The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) has hit out at “continual change” to the safe list of countries travellers can return to Scotland from without having to isolate.
But a government spokesman said officials were not yet convinced moving from quarantine to testing on arrival would provide enough protection against the spread of coronavirus.
The row broke out as Portugal became the latest country to be removed from Scotland’s safe list.
It means those arriving from the country from 4am today will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Similar measures were introduced in Wales yesterday, while England has so far resisted making the change.
SPAA, a travel agents’ trade body, is warning it could take years for air links to be rebuilt as a result of the government’s “toing and froing”.
Vice-president Mike Tibbert said: “It feels as if the government is playing games, with all its half-announcements and teasers.
“But the toing and froing on the safe list versus quarantine is actually distracting from the main
issue – which is the total lack of immediate support for the travel sector and the complete absence of a strategic plan to save future travel.
“It’s time that everyone realised this is not just about sun-seeking holidaymakers and is ever ything about the devastation this will
have on our ability to do business with the rest of the world and viceversa.”
Earlier this week the owner of Aberdeen International Airport, AGS Airports, claimed it “cannot operate in such an unpredictable environment”.
T he firm, which also
owns Glasgow and Southampton airports, branded blanket quarantine measures for popular destinations “another hugely damaging blow for the aviation industry”.
A Scottish Government spokesman said :“We understand industry concerns and we do want
to continue to explore whether there is a better balance around quarantine, but we are not satisfied that moving from quarantine to testing would provide enough protection. People in the early stages of incubation of the virus could test negative and go on to develop the virus and spread it.”