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Excessive caution on Green List will hold back travel recovery yet again

Reacting to the announcement of the Green List countries today, Brian Strutton, BALPA General Secretary, said:

“This excess of caution from the Government is extremely disappointing for everyone who works in the travel sector and the millions of people who are desperate to jet away on holiday or business.

“The huge success of the vaccine roll-out in the UK, the ever-growing vaccination rates in Europe, and the massive effort from everyone to make travel covid-safe should have meant a much longer Green List than what we’ve got today.

“Almost all tourist hotspots in Europe including Spain, France and Greece are in the Amber category which is as good as red as far as most tourists are concerns, with potential 10-day quarantine needed on return.

“The Government has at least committed to review the categories regularly. Tourists are sat gazing at the amber light, revving their engines, desperate to travel safe in the knowledge that their jabs will protect them. The Government must flick those amber lights to green as soon as it possibly can.

“In particular, we must see the vital UK-US travel market open up which remains inexplicably closed despite America’s own tremendous vaccine success.”