The travel restrictions imposed by the UK government will cost the country almost $900 million each day if they remain in place during the summer vacation season, a lobby group has warned.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has written to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to relax the stringent requirements placed on travelers and airports. Almost 220,000 jobs are at stake, they say.
The UK currently advises against all but essential travel to everywhere with the exception of a handful of mostly small nations on a so-called green list.
Most of the world is included on an amber list, which means anyone returning from those destinations must quarantine for 10 days and take two private coronavirus tests costing around $100 each.
Countries particularly badly affected by COVID-19 are placed on a red list, meaning UK residents returning home must pay to stay in isolation in a designated hotel for 10 days.
These rules come on top of destination countries’ requirements and no exceptions are in place for vaccinated travelers.
The WTTC is demanding a relaxation of the testing regime to reduce costs, exemptions from quarantine for those who are fully vaccinated and a plan to remove the bulk of the rules altogether.
“Stalling the resumption of international travel until August could cost the country dearly. We simply can’t afford any further delay – we are running out of time and money, with many businesses facing going bust if international travel doesn’t resume in July,” said Virginia Messina, WTTC senior vice president.
