The managing director of a group of UK travel management companies has said that the UK government must offer urgent financial support to business travel companies because the new Tier 4 introduced last week effectively means a “full travel shutdown”.
Jason Oshiokpekhai, managing director of Global Travel Collection of travel brands in the UK, which includes Protravel and Tzell, said: "Whilst we recognise the importance of protecting public health at this time, the new Tier 4 restrictions represent a worst-case scenario for our industry here in the UK. Current guidance does still allow for very limited business travel, but when combined with the rapid closing of borders to UK travellers from our European neighbours, Tier 4 is essentially a full travel shutdown in all but name.
“With the final outcome of Brexit only days away, cross-continent business travel should be more important than ever; instead, we have witnessed the overnight erasure of traveller confidence and travel booking traction.
“We are asking the transport minister to either provide a full package of financial relief to our sector which is set to suffer the most damage from the aftermath of Brexit and renewed Covid restrictions or urgently find a solution to open travel corridors.”
Oshiokpekhai also called for the urgent introduction of rapid pre-departure testing and an internationally recognised digital health passport system.