The Government is leaving its announcement of which countries will feature on its “green list” under the “traffic light” system for overseas travel to the very last minute, putting immense pressure on an already struggling travel industry. Sky News has the story.
An initial deadline for grading countries under a new traffic light system for international travel has been missed by the Government.
A report last week by the Commons’ Transport Select Committee said the lists of destinations should be published by May 1st “at the latest”, although this has not happened.
Instead, the Department for Transport said the lists will be made public in “early May”.
The travel industry has been putting pressure on the Government to give more clarity on the situation, and earlier Jet2 suspended flights and holidays until late June over the uncertainty.
Tory MP Huw Merriman, who chairs the Transport Select Committee, said the travel industry has been left “in the dark” and warned the uncertainty “could cost people their jobs”…
The Government is reportedly set to announce next week that traveling abroad will be permitted from May 17th, according to several U.K. newspapers.
But the Telegraph reports that only a “tiny handful” of countries are expected to be on the “green list” – which requires the lowest level of restrictions.
The majority of European countries are expected to be on the “amber list”, meaning people will have to quarantine as well as getting tested.
Travel to a “green list” country will also not be free from Government restrictions. Upon returning to the U.K., travellers will still have to fork out for a PCR test, the lowest cost of which is currently £60, adding almost £250 to the bill for a family of four. The Times also recently reported that the Foreign Office could refuse to sanction travel to countries on the Government’s “green” and “amber” lists since its travel advice is published independently of the “traffic light” system:
Most tour operators will refuse to run holidays in countries to which the Foreign Office does not advise travel. Disregarding Foreign Office advice also invalidates most travel insurance policies.
The Sky News report is worth reading in full.
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