UK Government Not Budging as Opposition to ‘Unworkable’ Air Quarantine Grows From Holiday and Hospitality Industries

How long can I stay?

OPPOSITION to what has been described as the UK’s ‘unworkable’ air quarantine plan is growing from the holiday industry, with the government showing no signs of obviously budging.

Over 200 companies in Britain involved with travel and hospitality are now said to have joined the movement to get next Monday’s (June 8) 14-day travel quarantine rules rescinded.

From that date, all arrivals in the UK will have to go into self-isolation with a clamour of firms joining the ongoing battle to get the move overturned.

It’s unclear as to how long the measure will be kept in place.

Air carriers like Ryanair have called the plans a joke, with boss Michael O’Leary pointing out in mid-May that the restrictions just did not make any sense as there are no curbs on people using public transport like the London Underground.

There’s also the issue of who actually is going to police and personally check that arrivals are actually staying at any address that they may have declared in the first place.

Travel companies plus restaurants and hotels have joined the clamour to get the UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to change her mind.

The quarantine move is a double-edged sword for both UK and foreign tourism.

Assuming the regulations are in place for July when countries like Spain want to welcome back international tourists from countries like the UK, then Brits going for a fortnight break to say the Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol will find themselves under the new rules having a self-isolation period to put up with when they arrive back home.

Tourists who might be interested in coming to the UK, also face the same regulations, and so in effect, will simply not bother.

Former cabinet minister, Theresa Villiers told the BBC: “Quarantine rules should be targeted on flights from Covid hotspots.

“We need to find ways to ease travel between this country and other countries like Italy and Spain and France, where not only are there important business connections but people do desperately want to be able to take their summer holiday.”

Ryanair resume 40 per cent of their summer schedule from July 1, and other carriers are beginning to announce plans as well.

The common view from the UK travel industry is to see the introduction of “air bridges” where journeys would be permitted between Britain and holiday areas like Spain and Greece.

It was reported last week that talks were going on between officials in Madrid and London to see if some kind of bilateral arrangement could be agreed, but there’s has been no further news or confirmation since then.

Over the 14-day quarantine, a statement from the Home Office said:

“As the world begins to emerge from what we hope is the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, we must look to the future and protect the British public by reducing the risk of cases crossing our border.

“We continue to support businesses in the tourism sector through one of the most generous economic packages provided anywhere in the world. However, it is right that we introduce these new measures now to keep the transmission rate down and prevent a devastating second wave.”

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Written by

Alex Trelinski

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