Holidaymakers offered £20 Covid tests by Tui

THE UK’s largest holiday company is to offer coronavirus tests for a fraction of standard prices to “make travel a possibility”.

Tui said its cheapest package will be available for just £20, and consist of a lateral flow test and a PCR test, which will be a requirement for people returning to or visiting England from green-list destinations under new Government rules.

A £50 package contains an additional PCR test, which will be needed for those travelling from a country on the amber list.

PCR tests alone typically cost £120 each, although several travel companies offer them for £60.

Tui said it is “subsidising the cost of testing to help customers travel again this summer”.

There have been fears that testing requirements would make summer holidays too expensive for many people, by adding hundreds of pounds to the overall cost of a trip.

The green, amber and red lists, based on an assessment of coronavirus risks, are expected to be published by the Department for Transport today.

International

leisure

travel

is expected to be permitted to resume for people in England from May 17.

No dates have been set by the UK’s devolved administrations.

Tui has partnered with Norwichbased testing firm Chronomics to offer the packages.

Andrew Flintham, Tui’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: “We have always believed that costeffective testing solutions, as well as maximum flexibility, will make travel a possibility this summer and beyond.

“Our research has shown that customers are looking forward to their much-needed holiday overseas, but affordable and easy testing solutions was imperative to make this a reality.

“The four new exclusive testing packages have been developed with our customers in mind; they’re offered at greatly reduced prices, include certification to travel and will be a simple process from start to finish.”

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “Tui launching an affordable testing package for holidays to green-list countries is great news – but only for Tui customers.

“Other larger holiday companies that can afford to subsidise test costs may follow suit, but medium and small travel firms may struggle to compete, and holidaymakers could face reduced choice as a result.

“People should not have to shop around for mandatory tests if they want to travel, or have their hand forced as to who they book with based on limited provision of cheap tests.

“The Government must work to reduce the cost of testing across the board, rather than have consumers rely on a system that is currently fragmented and flawed.”

Alcohol-related deaths jumped by a fifth last year and are at their highest level for 20 years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The 19.6% rise, from 6,209 in 2019 to 7,423 in 2020, came after previous annual jumps of just 1% in England and Wales.

The rise began in March, in line with the start of the first coronavirus lockdown, and the rates for the rest of the year remained significantly higher than previous years.