UK drops travel quarantine rules giving tourism £31bn boost
Travel: Simon Calder says new quarantine rules ‘ludicrous’
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Fully vaccinated American and European travellers will no longer have to quarantine for 10 days after landing in England. The change is a lift to hundreds of thousands of expats living on the Continent as well as tourists and business people desperate to travel to the UK. But it also throws a lifeline to Britain’s travel sector following a torrid 16 months. VisitBritain analysis found £86million a day in spending by overseas tourists was lost last year, equivalent to more than £31billion per year.
Patricia Yates, deputy chief executive, said: “The lifting of quarantine restrictions for double vaccinated travellers from European countries and the US is fantastic news and a major step towards reopening international travel.
“The EU markets are some of our largest inbound visitor markets and the US is our most valuable with the transatlantic trade route incredibly important for both business and tourism.
“Tourism is also an extremely competitive global industry and we had already forecast a slow recovery with overseas visitor spending in the UK this year of £6.2 billion compared to £28.4 billion in 2019, so being able to welcome more international visitors back by safely reducing barriers to travel is a crucial step on the industry’s road to rebuilding.”
Only travellers who have received two doses of a vaccine in the UK have been allowed to return from an amber country without self-isolating for 10 days under the current rules.
But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the exemption will be extended to people vaccinated in the US and EU from Monday August 2.
Mr Shapps said the changes will allow people to reunite with family and friends in the UK.
Restrictions is fantastic news and a major step towards reopening international travel.
“The EU markets are some of our largest inbound visitor markets and the US is our most valuable with the transatlantic trade route incredibly important for both business and tourism.”
Ms Yates said VisitBritain had forecast a slow recovery, with overseas visitor spending in the UK this year of £6.2billion compared to £28.4billion in 2019.
“So being able to welcome more international visitors back by safely reducing barriers to travel is a crucial step on the industry’s road to rebuilding,” she said.
Sean Doyle, British Airways chief executive, said the move “will allow us to reunite loved ones and get global Britain back in business”.
And Tom Thackray, CBI director of infrastructure, said: “Restriction-free international travel will be a vital piece of the recovery jigsaw, and ending quarantine requirements for fully-vaccinated arrivals from the US and EU is a huge step towards that goal.
“The news will come as a significant boost to the beleaguered travel industry, while also restoring important business links with key trading partners.”
Under current rules, only travellers who have received two doses of a vaccine in the UK have been allowed to return from an amber country without self-isolating for 10 days.
But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the exemption will be extended to people vaccinated in the US and EU from Monday.
But he insisted the Government is erring on the side of caution to ensure that new variants are not imported.
He added: “We’ve taken great strides on our journey to reopen international travel, and today is another important step. Whether you’re a family reuniting for the first time since the pandemic’s start or a business benefiting from increased trade, this is progress we can all enjoy.
“We will of course continue to be guided by the latest scientific data but thanks to our world-leading domestic vaccination programme, we’re able to look to the future and start to rebuild key transatlantic routes with the US while further cementing ties with our European neighbours.”
The new rules also include arrivals from Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and Vatican City.
Travellers will be required to take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test on or before the second day after their arrival. Visitors from France to the UK will continue to be required to enter quarantine.
The US is Britain’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor market, worth £4.2billion to the economy in 2019.
It accounted for 11 percent of visits to the UK in 2019, some 4.5 million visits.
That year, 25 million trips were made from EU countries, 61 percent of all inbound visits.
Visitors spent a record £10.7billion, up 10 percent on the previous year.
UK visitors are still banned from entering the US under a travel ban ordered by Donald Trump last year.
Mr Shapps said he expects the US to change the rules “in time”.
“We can only set the rules for our end,” he added.
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: “The significance of this decision can’t be overestimated. It will pump vital cash into the travel economy, and help salvage the rest of the summer.”
Claire Walker, British Chambers of Commerce co-executive director, said: “For the hundreds of thousands of people directly employed in the travel industry and the many more that are part of supply chains, this will be welcome news. The long-term recovery of our entire economy also depends on reopening the UK to the two-way flows of people and trade. The Government must continue to work with businesses, the aviation industry and international partners to ensure resources and guidance are in place to deal with the influx of passengers who will need vaccination checks.”
It has not been announced whether the change will apply to people arriving in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Shai Weiss, chief executive officer at Virgin Atlantic, urged the government to go further.
He said: “A continued overly cautious approach towards international travel will further impact economic recovery and the 500,000 UK jobs that are at stake.”
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