The UK government has expanded its green travel list and it will not quarantine people coming from 16 places to the country. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said the government plans to drop quarantine for fully vaccinated people returning from amber countries.
Industry leaders have called the government decision “not enough”. EasyJet Holidays chief executive Garry Wilson has said that the UK has delayed its decision to expand the green travel list. However, some industry leaders, including Thomas Cook, have called it a positive step for the tourism sector in the UK.
Although the green travel list expansion will open more holiday options for customers, industry leaders are not fully happy with it. Moreover, they have criticized the government for delaying the lifting of restrictions for fully vaccinated people.
Some Issues are Not Resolved Yet
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has added that there is a need to resolve some issues. He said it is still not clear whether children will enjoy the administration of vaccines or not. Besides, there are doubts regarding adults outside the UK who will prove their vaccination status or not.
He calls the green watch list a “maximal transparency approach.” However, he has also added no guarantee that countries with their current status will not see any change in it. Instead, Shapps says it will depend on the covid-19 cases in other countries.
There is a fairness issue in this decision as the entry of youngsters with the only jab administered is not yet clear. Six destinations will see their addition to the government’s red list on 30 June. Except for Malta, the UK government has also added the green list countries to the green watch list.
It signals that they might move to amber as per the changing Covid-19 situation in them. Then, starting with the UK residents, the government will release its plans in phases to allow quarantine free entry of fully vaccinated people.
Decision Not Enough to Save Summer
Until now, there is no guarantee for the entry of travelers from amber countries to the UK. That’s why the government has placed all green-listed countries on the green watch list. Clearly, it signifies they may find their place back in amber in the future.
While some industry leaders have welcomed the decisions, others are against them. Many industry leaders believe it is not enough to save the summer. And they say the airlines and travel industries can’t afford to lose their profit for another summer.
