New rules which will see arrivals in the UK forced to quarantine and take additional Covid tests from 15 February have been called a ‘wrecking ball’ by a TMC consortium and have been strongly condemned by the European Travel Commission (ETC).
Under the new rules, those required to quarantine in a hotel will have to pay £1,750 to do so. Those who fail to quarantine face fines of up to £10,000 and those who lie about where they have visited risk up to ten years in jail. In England, the new rules apply to those arriving from 33 red list countries, while in Scotland they apply to arrivals from all countries.
Abby Penston, CEO of the Focus Travel Partnership, said: “This is literally going to hit our industry like a wrecking ball. The government can't impose actions such as this without having a supporting structure for our industry to see it through this period.
“Failure to do so will have everlasting consequences that will directly impact the recovery process. The travel management company sector will be vital to ensuring that business travellers can safely and responsibly travel for work and kick starting the economy.”
The ETC, meanwhile, has called on the government to reconsider the proposed measures and says “we must put a stop to placing the act of travelling in the same category as severe criminal offences”.
ETC's president Luís Araújo said: “Travellers are not felons and should not face several legal repercussions for arriving back home from another country. Throughout this crisis, we have learned that blanket restrictions are not the way forward, especially in countries with already high levels of community transmission. It is crucial to strike a balance between sensible public health measures and preserving connectivity and citizens' mobility.”
He added, “We firmly believe that the process of vaccination, testing on arrival and departure, together with efficient tracing systems and hygiene measures, will safely restore movement between countries. We are calling all the national and international organisations in the travel and tourism sector to firmly condemn these measures and support solutions which are universally beneficial to the industry and to international relations.”