WTTC Praises UK’s Decision to Slash Quarantine Lockdown

Caribbean News…
24 November 2020 7:56pm
UK border control

The UK government’s latest move that will slash the travel quarantine lockdown if passengers test negative on the fifth day, will provide a much-needed economic boost and is a step towards reviving international travel, says the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, says the move, which will come into effect on 15 December, is significant progress to restoring travel, especially for leisure travellers.

However, while many holidaymakers will embrace the reduced quarantine and will be able to afford the test, which will cost between £65 and £120, WTTC says it won’t be enough to resuscitate meaningful business travel.

For that to take place and to significantly aid the Travel & Tourism sector, which has been battered by widespread and uncoordinated travel restrictions, quarantines need to be reduced even further or completely replaced with a comprehensive and internationally recognised test upon departure. 

Until a vaccine is widely available, WTTC says this is the only way to get business travellers moving again, which is so critical to the UK economy.

However, WTTC supports any viable alternatives to damaging quarantines to get travel moving once more, such as the oneworld airline alliance trial with British Airways and American Airlines recently unveiled, which offers free COVID-19 tests to eligible customers on select flights between the UK and the U.S., as well as other examples we have been seeing around the world.

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