Continued from page 40


to be a pathway to green [for destinations]. It doesn’t mean [a country] needs to start in that position. It’s about a pathway there.” The trio urged the


government “to expedite” talks with the US on reopening, allow rapid tests for travellers and recognise digital documentation of testing from the earliest restart date of May 17. Weiss argued important


destinations for Virgin Atlantic should be on the initial green list, arguing: “The US should be there. Israel should be there. The Caribbean has done an awesome job. These three should be on the list.” Holland-Kaye argued for


clarity so the industry could prepare for reopening and develop confidence among travellers. He said: “You would expect


people to be feeling a little cautious now. But by the time we get to May, the public mood could change significantly. It’s important to us as an industry to get some anchor points and a lead time to organise ourselves. “It will take us about


eight weeks to get back to full capacity. So a clear roadmap from the government is critical. If we only get a sign in mid-May, it will be too late.” Holland-Kaye suggested


a UK restart could provide a model for an international reopening, saying: “Countries have been doing their own thing. That is incredibly challenging. The UK government has a real leadership opportunity. Airlines and airports around the world are looking to the taskforce to see whether its recommendations can be used by them.”


IN THE GOVERNMENT’S WORDS . . . ITS UPDATE ON THE GLOBAL TRAVEL TASKFORCE


“The government hopes people will be able to travel to and from the UK to take a summer holiday this year, but it is too soon to know what is possible. “We will confirm in advance


whether non-essential international travel can resume on May 17, or whether we will need to wait longer. “When non-essential international


travel does return, it will do so with a risk-based ‘traffic light’ system. This will add to our current system a new green category with no isolation


requirement on return to the UK, although pre-departure and post-arrival tests would be needed. “This new category will


accommodate countries where we judge the risk to be lower, based on vaccinations, infection rates, the prevalence of variants of concern and genomic sequencing capacity. “It is too early to say which countries will be on the green list. These decisions will be driven by the data and evidence nearer the time. “In advance of the resumption, we


will set out our initial assessment of which countries will fall into which category. Thereafter, countries will move between the red, amber and green lists depending on the data. “For the moment, the government


advises people not to book summer holidays abroad until the picture is clearer. “The vaccination programme


could offer a more stable route out of the need for such restrictions – provided we see sufficient efficacy against any variants of concern.”


PM slated for ‘failing to provide clarity’ for travel


Ian Taylor


Industry leaders were underwhelmed by the government’s bank holiday update on the Global Travel Taskforce which confirmed a traffic light system for categorising destinations but not much else. Clive Wratten, chief executive


of the Business Travel Association, described the announcement as “beyond disappointing” saying: “We are leading the way in vaccination and science. But we need a clear pathway to international travel and trade. This has once again been kicked down the road.” He said: “The business travel


industry continues to be crippled.” Airlines UK chief executive Tim


Alderslade said the announcement “does not provide the clarity we were seeking”. He warned: “The measures


indicated, including multiple tests for 38 8 APRIL 2021 Clive Wratten


travellers even from ‘green countries’, will prevent meaningful travel even to low-risk destinations.” Karen Dee, chief executive of


the Airport Operators Association, agreed saying: “It is disappointing the prime minister continues to suggest significant barriers to international travel. “While a new green category with


no isolation requirement on return to the UK is welcome, potentially costly and onerous testing requirements would limit the possibilities for many people to travel.” However, UKinbound chief


executive Joss Croft welcomed the traffic light system saying: “This was a key ask in UKinbound’s submission to the Global Travel Taskforce and its inclusion is a clear sign that government is listening to the industry.” He argued: “We need to see


a robust four-nation approach to reopening and the intention to develop bilateral and multilateral travel agreements with international markets such as the US.” But Croft warned: “A stop-start


restart is one of the biggest threats to our sector. It’s therefore crucial that government implements the recommendations of the taskforce and continues its dialogue with industry.”


travelweekly.co.uk


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