WTTC cautiously welcomes the government’s decision to relax the international arrival rules on July 10 to enable travellers and holidaymakers to travel again, consumers and those who work within the Travel & Tourism sector have been eagerly awaiting this news.

Gloria Guevara, World Travel & Tourism Council President & CEO: “However, there has been a disappointing lack of co-ordination to ensure the same rules apply at the same time across the whole of the UK. We have learned from the past that a lack of coordination between governments and with the private sector causes long-lasting travel disruption, higher costs and a far slower recovery.

“This risks causing confusion for travellers and we need greater clarity about which ‘exempted countries’ will not require arriving UK holidaymakers and travellers to self-isolate. This lack of reciprocity would put the UK at a distinct competitive disadvantage at a time when we ought to be providing the assurance travellers need to restore consumer confidence. Blanket quarantine measures kill travel and should rarely be used as they stifle economic activity.

“Removing the quarantine will help safeguard the jobs of millions of people whose livelihoods in the sector have been hanging by a thread. By following WTTC protocols enabling Safe Travels, we can start rediscovering the world while the hygiene and safety of both the traveller and those who work within the Travel & Tourism sector remain the priority.”