Good news at last. After weeks of speculation firm plans for the restart of travel were published on Friday. The Global Travel Taskforce’s report paves the way for the restart of international travel this summer.
We already knew that travel, once permitted, would kick off again under a traffic-light system, with countries graded depending on their pandemic status. Ministers have been keen to emphasise that they are not yet in a position to confirm that holidays can go ahead on May 17.
Despite this, the outlook is bright for consumers. Look beyond the report’s ministerial language and it is clear that the government has an ambition to learn from the mistakes of last summer. Countries being ranked red, amber and green is not revolutionary but the promise of a “green watchlist” is a significant step forward.
It will be used to identify countries that are most at risk of moving from green to amber. The system is designed to avoid a repeat of last summer, when quarantine was imposed on arrivals from destinations almost overnight, causing chaos for holidaymakers overseas. It will mean that those with holidays booked, or considering a last-minute break, will not have to rely on Twitter speculation or the views of armchair experts.
There was also positive news for cruise fans, with a commitment that the Foreign Office’s ban on seagoing voyages will be dropped. The sector will be permitted to start — domestically and internationally — under the traffic-light system.
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A commitment to review measures on June 28, and again no later than July 31 and October 1, is also welcome. Such reviews will assess the domestic and international health picture to see whether measures can be rolled back. If all is going well, testing or quarantine on arrivals from amber countries could be relaxed in time for the summer school holidays, opening up more destinations.
The news has been broadly welcomed by those in the travel sector. “The report recognises for the first time that international travel is vital for business and for the UK economy,” said Derek Jones, the chief executive of the luxury travel operator Kuoni. “Travel unites us, it brings people together, connects families and allows us to explore new horizons.”
But let’s not get the sun cream out yet. Foreign holidays are not going to snap back overnight, and the restart will need to be managed. There will be hiccups and there will still be disappointment if trips are postponed or cancelled as countries move between the traffic-light rankings.
There is still concern about the risk of variants. At their most severe, such mutations could undermine the UK’s successful vaccine rollout, threatening our return to normality back home.
Holidaymakers and people working in the travel sector will need to be pragmatic for many months to come. In the immediate aftermath of the report’s publication, holiday companies complained that the requirement for testing on arrival back in the UK, even from “green-listed” countries, would make holidays prohibitively expensive.
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It may well. Research by the Airport Operators Association and Abta found that people in the UK were paying twice as much as travellers in other European countries for PCR tests. This is patently unacceptable.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, told Times Radio that he pledged to clamp down on “providers who seem to be profiteering from [tests]”. The industry — and travellers — will hope that Shapps stays true to his word. No one wants a situation where travel becomes only the preserve of the wealthy.
There is pragmatism here too. “The cost of a PCR test may be prohibitive, but it is a small price to pay to get the industry back up and running while we work with the government to enhance the testing system for the benefit of all,” said Jarrod Kyte at Steppes Travel.
The taskforce report acknowledges the need to rebuild consumer confidence. Government polling, conducted by Ipsos Mori, found that just 37 per cent of UK adults surveyed would feel comfortable going on a leisure trip abroad between June and September this year.
Flexibility is one of the biggest barriers and 68 per cent of respondents say that they will only book travel abroad if they have the option of a refund or cancellation. The travel industry is aware of this and companies have introduced terms and conditions that would have been unimaginable 13 months ago, but there is still work to do. Consumers want guarantees that they will get refunds — not vouchers — in the event of disruption.
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The taskforce’s report says: “Clarity to consumers will be cemented through a new passenger Covid-19 charter that clearly sets out consumer rights and responsibilities when booking travel while Covid-19 measures remain in place.”
Undoubtedly hurdles remain but even sceptics should see the taskforce’s report as a positive step forward. Our desire to travel has never been greater and the government is finally acknowledging that. Travel now looks to be on for summer, albeit with a gradual start.
