News this weekend that international travel from
the UK may not restart this summer as many are hoping has been called “unhelpful”
and “exceptionally challenging” by those working in the business travel sector.
When the UK government announced its roadmap out
of lockdown in late February, it said that a new global travel taskforce would
report on 12 April about potentially restarting international travel on 17 May.
However comments by defence secretary Ben Wallace
and government scientific adviser Dr Mike Tildesley at the weekend seemed to suggest
that this timeline looked unlikely.
Advantage Travel’s CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said told BTN Europe, “Businesses are adapting
to a new way of working but travel underpins so many sectors and we have seen
this week the government making concessions to seafarers who normally live in
the UK and we need broader flexibility on exemptions to enable business travel
to resume safely too.
“Travel management companies are best placed to help business travellers
and their corporates navigate through myriad travel restrictions and
complexities, they are well versed to managing travel in adverse times,
delivering robust travel programmes with duty of care embedded into travel
policies.
“However, confusing headlines make it exceptionally challenging for
businesses to plan for any form of recovery and after 12 months we ask for
a considered approach from those in positions of influence and authority until
the global travel taskforce publish their recommendations on 12 April.”
The BTA’s Clive Wratten added, “The continual
speculation about when travel will be allowed to resume is unhelpful. The
key is for government to listen to recommendations from the global travel taskforce
and put in place a transparent and robust roadmap to enable British
businesses and holidaymakers to travel safely again. That needs to be within a
practical framework of passenger testing, digital health apps, and, where
necessary, international travel corridors.”
Tim Alderslade, chief executive
of Airlines UK, said: “It is too early to say what the state of
Covid will be in Europe and globally in ten weeks’ time. Our focus between now
and then must be working with ministers on a framework for travel that is
robust and workable, and can stand the test of time.
“We have always said any reopening must be
risk-based, but also led by the overriding assumption that as the vaccine
rollout accelerates both here and abroad, a phased easing of restrictions is
achievable. We know that universal, restriction-free travel is unlikely from 17
May but under a tiered system, based on risk, international travel can
meaningfully restart and build up, with minimal restrictions in time.”