(TAN): World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) is encouraged by the UK government’s “island policy” that goes for a more nuanced approach to quarantine restrictions, separating some islands from mainland countries.
WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said, “WTTC is encouraged the (UK) government is beginning to listen and has now introduced its ‘island policy’. This move appears to show a more strategic approach and signals a change from its previous blanket country-wide approach. We look forward to seeing how this is going to be communicated to holidaymakers.”
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However, Guevara believes that the move is “just scratching the surface” and calls for abandoning the “wholesale and costly quarantines” to replace them with rapid, cost-effective testing on departure at airports.
“Airport testing on departure and a robust testing and tracing programme could help revive international business travel, particularly on key routes, such as between London and New York, which links two of the world’s biggest financial hubs. Testing, in addition to measures such as social distancing, mask wearing, hand sanitisation, enforced by the airlines, airports and other stakeholders, can reduce risk to a minimum while travelling,” she said.
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The UK economy is set to lose as much as GBP 22 billion (USD 28.5 billion) because of the disappearance of international travel, WTTC has projected. Guevara urged the UK government to tackle the issue head on to restore people’s confidence in travel, bring stability back to the sector and thereby saving millions of jobs
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